Kusama Orphan
by Hypercritical-Q
Summary: Nowaki brings home a 7 yr old runaway orphan from Kusama orphanage that he happens upon on his way home from work. Hiroki is understandably upset, but Nowaki feels an affinity toward the boy. What will become of the child? And the Egoist's relationship?
1. KeijiKun

**AN: **Yes, I know I have lots of homework to do as well as another fic, but I did this one while I had a writer's block; it was inspired by a TV show, maybe? I don't remember… I write when I'm at my weakest point, mentally, so I apologize for any mistakes, whether they are due to my own ignorance of the Japanese culture, or just plain lack of sleep.

_**REVIEWS ARE LUV!**_

**Warnings: **Yaoi, light smut, spoilers up to vol. 8 (Byouin no Sempai cameo.)

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Junjou Romantica.

-.--.--.-

Kusama Orphan

Chapter One: Keiji-Kun

-.--.--.-

Kamijou Hiroki sipped at his coffee as he raked his fingers through his hair, struggling to focus his eyes on the different kana and kanji on the screen of his laptop. He hadn't slept in about thirty eight hours and was now on his sixth cup of coffee, sitting quietly in the comfort of his own living room.

"Hiro-san?" Nowaki spoke to him as he opened the front door, coming home for the first time in three days. "You're still up? It's one in the morning…"

"Ah," Hiroki looked up, blinking. "Nowaki, okaeri."

"Tadaima…" Nowaki headed over to the couch, sitting down next to his lover. "When did you get home?"

"Around midnight or so…" Hiroki replied, absently, eyes glued to his computer.

"You look exhausted, is it because exams are coming up?" His tall lover inquired.

"Mm…" Hiroki nodded. "Want a cup of coffee? I just put a pot on."

". . . I want to go to bed." Nowaki laughed, softly. "I'm sorry, Hiro-san, I have to be up early tomorrow."

"Oh, well you should get some rest then." Hiroki went back to his work and Nowaki smiled, leaning down and pecking his lover on the cheek.

Hiroki was so absorbed in his work that he didn't even bother to protest or explode at his lover, he just continued typing away and reading.

Even though he hadn't been scolded, Nowaki felt ignored, and today of all days, he simply wouldn't tolerate it. He needed some company tonight…

Slowly, his arms snaked around Hiroki's slim waist, and he buried his nose in the crook of his lover's neck.

This didn't go ignored. Hiroki froze before he reached up and rubbing his eyes, gently. "Mm… Nowaki, what're you doing?"

"Gomen, Hiro-san…" Nowaki mumbled, softly into his lover's soft skin. "…Today was rough… so if you don't mind, I just want to hold you for a moment."

Hiroki had come to learn what that meant, and he resigned himself to comforting his lover, even if all that meant was switching his attention from work to the man holding him…

And actually…

He could use a break…

-.--.--.-

Nowaki let out a soft noise as he was pressed into their bed, Hiroki's hands clinging to his thicker wrists, and the brunette slowly lowered himself down onto the younger man's body, his mouth covering his lover's hotly.

Nowaki wasn't used to being 'topped' so to say, but he knew that no matter how this started, it would end with his own seed filling up the lithe figure that now pressed into him from atop.

"Hiro-san," He breathed when Hiroki pulled back for a moment to pull off his own shirt.

His breathing became heavy with excitement as he watched his lover undress and he reached up for Hiroki's firm abs, running a smooth, warm hand up over them and settling one hand over the left side of Hiroki's chest.

"Nowaki…" Hiroki whispered, not sure as to how close his lover was with whomever had died, but sympathizing nonetheless. He reached down to caress both of his lover's cheeks with his hands. "…You sure you want to do this? You're so tired…" The back of his hand brushed gently across his lover's right cheek, and Nowaki smiled, happily.

"Hiro-san…" It was hard to believe that this surprisingly gentle man above him was the same man that would surely hit him with at least one book the next day due to the pain that was surely yet to come out of this night together. "I want Hiro-san…" He took the hand from his cheek and kissed Hiroki's knuckles, sweetly. "And actually, Hiro-san, I know you have a lot of work to do. Ideally, I'd prefer it if you slept with me in the bed… but I know-"

"Alright." Hiroki cut him off, leaning down and kissing Nowaki's neck. "I have to sleep tonight, anyway… you probably saved me from a lot of typos."

"…I see." Nowaki smiled, running his fingers through Hiroki's hair. "In that case…" He trailed off, quietly.

"…In that case?" Hiroki pulled away and blinked. Nowaki had fallen asleep.

Hiroki stared, a tad annoyed, but in the end, he wound up curling into his lover and resting his head on Nowaki's shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around his neck. The two slept together until Nowaki's alarm went off.

-.--.--.-

"Mmn…" Nowaki reached over, shutting the damn thing off before sighing, heavily. There was something latched onto him, and that certain something would be very grumpy when it woke up, he could already tell by the furrowed eyebrows… It might not even wake up after twenty times of being woken today, which wasn't good, because if it didn't wake up, Nowaki himself couldn't get ready.

Luckily for Nowaki, the thing grumbled, and got up on its own for the first time… probably ever.

"Nowaki, what time is it?" Hiroki rubbed his eyes, tiredly.

"Time to get up and get ready, for me that is, I'm sorry, Hiro-san, I-"

"Me, too, I'll head to work early and get back to work…" Hiroki rubbed his eyes again, yawned, then headed for the shower. "Hurry up."

Nowaki's eyes lit up and he darted into the bathroom after his lover.

Once both of them were situated inside, with the temperature of the water just right, Nowaki pulled Hiroki against him from behind and buried his face in his lover's neck.

"Nowaki, you'll be late." Hiroki muttered, still sleepy.

"It'll be fine. I'll just eat on the way instead of cooking breakfast… if that's okay with Hiro-san…"

Hiroki sighed, shutting his eyes and letting his lover's hands explore his body. He hadn't felt the touch of the other man in about a week, and with the stress that came with the end of the trimester, he knew he could use a little release.

"What time are you off, tonight?" He asked as his lover kissed the muscles on his back and neck, gently and lovingly.

"I get off early, tonight." Nowaki whispered. "And Hiro-san? You probably won't get home until early tomorrow morning?"

"I'll see what I can do." Hiroki replied, tilting his head back and closing his eyes as Nowaki pressed their mouths together.

He felt Nowaki's hot tongue slide along his own and he moaned softly into their kiss, unable to repress it.

A large hand wrapped around his dick and he reached his right arm back, bringing his fingers up to cling to the back of Nowaki's spiky head and his other arm lowered and he wrapped his hand around Nowaki's morning wood.

The two continued kissing wetly as their hands pumped at one another's erections.

Hiroki moaned softly into a kiss, the sound of their kissing and their actions echoed off the shower wall, turning the man on even more. He felt his lower abs tighten as his orgasm neared.

They both came at the same time, breaking their kiss to moan and whimper one another's names as they climaxed together.

As they held one another, both using the shower wall for support, they panted, struggling to recompose themselves… It seemed both of them had been neglecting their health due to work the last couple days, so neither of them had much endurance left when it came to somewhat strenuous activity….

They both knew that, at least for Hiroki, after the exams were over, there would be more attention paid to their health, but for now, they both resigned themselves to taking just enough care to avoid getting sick.

"One more week…" Hiroki mumbled, softly, and Nowaki kissed his forehead, happy that his lover's month-long period of misery was nearing its end.

"Then, Hiro-san, you should take a long nap."

"Nowaki, quit your part-time job." Hiroki snapped, suddenly, and Nowaki blinked.

"Please…" The older man whispered, and though it was barely audible, Nowaki had heard; no, felt the desperation in the other man's voice.

Smiling gently, he pressed his lips to Hiroki's cheek and nodded. "I'll consider it."

-.--.--.-

"Hiro-san, are we competing?" Nowaki asked as he hurried down the stairs to follow his lover, who was practically sprinting.

"Competing?!" Hiroki called over his shoulder without slowing his pace.

"To get to work, I mean." Nowaki called, smiling. "You're practically running!"

"I happen to be running so I won't be late!" Hiroki replied, but he stopped at the corner where the two of them had to part ways.

Nowaki caught up in no time, smiling brightly down at his lover. "Hiro-san, you look much better this morning than last night."

"I do?" Hiroki asked, bringing a hand to his cheek.

"Yes," Nowaki reached down, adjusting his lover's scarf. He definitely wanted his lover to be warm, and who knew, maybe running around like this would help keep him warm…

The weather had turned very cold, and Nowaki had been saving up to buy a kotatsu. He'd seen one in a picture Hiroki had had from when he was a child, but had never really had one himself. (1).

Whenever he saw the man shiver or breathing into his hands to warm them, Nowaki considered blurting it out; 'I'm going to buy a kotatsu, Hiro-san, I've saved up enough!' but he knew he had to wait to surprise the other man.

"I feel a little better," Hiroki broke Nowaki out of his stupor, and Nowaki blinked.

"What's that, Hiro-san?"

"You said I look better… I feel it, too… you look a bit better, too." Hiroki told him.

"Ah, yes… our skin, for example-"

"I gotta go!" Hiroki cut him off, annoyed, turning and hurrying off into the direction of the school. (2).

Nowaki pouted, raising a hand to his mouth to call after his lover; "Hiro-san! It's five in the morning! How can you possibly be late?!"

"I'm sorry! I'll see you at home! If I start early, I might be able to get off early!"

"Have a good day, Hiro-san!" Nowaki called before turning, and also hurrying toward the station.

-.--.--.-

"I'm here!" Hiroki exploded into his office, panting. "Sorry I'm… late…?" He looked around. The light was on, but no one was inside. He pulled off his jacket, tossed his gloves and scarf on his seat and looked around for any signs of his superior before coming to a conclusion that excited him at first, and then irritated him:

"I made it here first? I beat that bastard?! I win! Wait… HE SAID TO BE HERE EARLY! Miyagi, you BASTARD! You promised you'd help go over my-"

"BUUUU!!!"

"AAAAAH!!!" Hiroki jumped, pivoted, and landed on is rump, staring up at one Miyagi You, who was holding his briefcase in one hand, a bag in the other.

"I never EVER break a promise." Miyagi snapped, setting the bag on a desk and offering Hiroki a hand.

"…Y-you break them all the time." Hiroki snapped, taking his hand and getting up, pulling his hand instantly away as soon as Miyagi released it.

"What was that?" Miyagi huffed, annoyed.

"It's winter," Hiroki started cleaning his hands with disinfectant wipes, "You can never be too careful, and YOU happen to hang around a sniveling little brat all the time, so I'm not taking any risks."

Miyagi stared at Hiroki, and the younger man could tell that his superior was also neglecting his health. The man sniffed, then scowled at his subordinate, realizing he'd just absent-mindedly given the man a reason to fear his boss' touch.

"…And here I came and brought you a little treat."

"A treat?" Hiroki asked, annoyed.

"Remember that conversation we were having yesterday?" Miyagi turned to the bag.

"I've been working for the past forty or so hours before I slept, so I don't remember any conversations I had with anyone." Hiroki admitted, pulling out his chair and sitting down, setting up his laptop.

"Not even the conversation you had with the dean, yesterday?" Miyagi turned, blinking.

"…" Hiroki's eyes bulged. "I had a conversation with the dean?!"

"Yeah, you told him you'd have that paper written by today."

"WHAT PAPER?!"

"Ah, you're so much fun to mess with, Kamijou." Miyagi chuckled as he pulled something out of the bag. "No, you didn't speak with the dean yesterday."

"You bastard… why do you do that?"

"Gotta amuse myself somehow, and you're my favorite person to play with, Kamijou-sensei," Miyagi jabbered, pointedly ignoring a small 'I hate you!' that he may have heard slip from his subordinate's lips, "If I don't amuse myself, how am I supposed to stay awake? Uuugh, I'm almost falling asleep right now, just thinking of sleep…"

"Then don't say the word." Hiroki huffed.

"Anyway, the conversation I was referring to was that of the conversation we were having about coffee not working on us anymore… Was that… yesterday? The day before???"

"I remember it, vaguely…" Hiroki muttered, also trying to remember. After a while, all the days seemed to smear into one… especially after staying up without sleep for nearly forty hours…

"Well, I picked this up for us, it's a new espresso from this new coffee place that opened up down the street from where I live, ah, they're still hot, so wait a bit." He handed one to Hiroki, who stared at the warm cup that had been placed in his hand, then up at his superior, then back at the coffee, and he continued doing that for a minute.

"…What?" Miyagi snapped, finally. "If this is about germs, trust me, it's too hot, it killed any that may have been absorbed through the cup itself."

Hiroki just continued to stare.

"…WHAT?!"

"…You…? You…? _Nice_…?? For someone _else_?!"

"You really don't give me enough credit." Miyagi huffed, before smirking. "Or is it that you give me too much?"

"…There's a catch." Hiroki's eyes narrowed and he readied to pour out the coffee. Possibly on the professor's head. THAT would wake the bastard up.

"Not a catch so much as I just need you to be at the top of your game. Your performance is a reflection on me, after all! Therefore, if it'll take a little bit of caffeine to help you to perform at your best, then I will pump it straight into your veins if I have to!"

"That's not necessary… thank you for the coffee…" Hiroki went to drink it, but a paper came between him and the cup. He looked up with a glare.

"…I told you, it's hot! Pay more attention! That reminds me! There's something I found last night that I want you to hear about."

"Eh? What is it?" Hiroki asked as he turned back to his desk, logging onto his file on his laptop and opening what he needed.

"Found this in a book I was reading last night." Miyagi pulled out a piece of paper. "Are you listening?"

"Yes, yes, you know I listen to all your problems."

"IT'S NOT A PROBLEM! YOU WOULD KNOW THAT IF YOU WERE LISTENING!"

"Go ahead." Hiroki replied, reading over something himself.

"All it says is that most people don't listen actively. According to the book I read, there were tests that indicated that immediately after listening to a 10-minute oral presentation, the average listener has heard, comprehended, accurately evaluated, and retained about half of what was said. Within 48 hours, the effectiveness level drops to just 25 percent. By the end of a week, listeners recall only about 10 percent or less of what they heard."

"Uh-huh."

"Many people daydream or think about an unrelated topic when someone else is talking. Some people become angry by a speaker's remarks and fail to fully absorb what the person is saying. Others become impatient and interrupt, preferring to talk rather than listen."

"Uh-huh."

"When I read that, you know who I thought of? … YOU."

"…"

"…"

"…" Miyagi's brow twitched and after a moment, Hiroki looked up. "Uh-huh."

"What do you think?" Miyagi snapped.

"…Uuuuh…" Hiroki looked away. "I agree with you."

"About what?"

"…What you just said."

"… So you also feel that way?"

"I do, indeed."

"…Good, let's start by burning this one." Miyagi grabbed a book off of Hiroki's shelf and Hiroki gasped, leaping to his feet and reaching for the book.

"Burn?! NEVER!"

"But you just agreed that we should burn every book written by this author."

"What?! No, I meant… uh… err… okay, start over from the beginning…"

"KAMIJOU, YOU NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE!"

"Are you implying that I'm not a good listener?!"

"…" Miyagi inhaled, sharply, rubbing his temples.

"Can we have this conversation _after_ the upcoming exams?" Hiroki asked, annoyed. "Why're you always wanting to talk instead of work?"

"What do you mean?" Miyagi pouted. "I work! I work hard! Even at home, I always- oh… oh no…"

"Forget something?" Hiroki muttered, returning to his computer.

"I stepped on a spider…"

"Eh?" Hiroki looked up, annoyed as Miyagi sat down, cleaning it off of his shoe with one of Hiroki's disinfectant wipes. "Are you kidding me with this?"

"Try putting yourself in the spider's place, Kamijou! Sympathize!"

"SYMPATHIZE?!" Hiroki spat back, annoyed. "Kyoujuu, why don't you try sympathizing with me?"

"Mm?" Miyagi looked up.

"I am that spider." Hiroki pointed, then gestured to the mess on his desk. "This mountain of paperwork is your shoe." He snapped, hoping his implications that all the work Miyagi dumped on him being painful would somehow sink into his superior's brain.

"…That reminds me, I need to leave work early today."

Hiroki's jaw dropped. "H-how early?!"

"Around two or so…"

"TWO?!!" Hiroki gawked.

"Yeah, I got chewed out last night because I keep spending the night here, so I think two in the morning should be good."

Hiroki fell silent. "…Oh… two in the…in the morning?"

"Yeah…" Miyagi yawned. "Besides, I think I should go ahead and try to get some sleep, my brain's not functioning quite right."

"Oh, that's normal in your case." Hiroki took a small sip of his coffee. "Ah- professor, the coffee has cooled down considerably. It tastes really good, thanks…"

"I couldn't remember what kind to get you, so I got you something sweet… You like sweet things."

"I do?" Hiroki glared, knowing the bastard was insinuating something…

"SO!" Miyagi changed the subject. "You wanted me to look over something, right?"

"Please…" Hiroki dug through his bag and pulled out his latest thesis, handing it over. "I just want you to read over it and tell me what you think."

"Ah… like I said, my brain's not working too well, but I'll do my best… Have you eaten yet?"

"No, why?" Hiroki asked, sipping at the coffee. It warmed him from the inside.

"That same place I got the coffee from sold some pretty amazing scones with this honey butter stuff, I had one, but there're more in the bag, they're wrapped up, I didn't touch them! Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"Where're you running off to with my thesis? You're not going to the bathroom are you?!" Hiroki snapped.

"…I'm going to walk and read so I don't fall asleep, also, movement stimulates the brain… I'm not going to steal it, you know."

"I dunno… it's pretty good…" Hiroki gloated.

"I've already found three mistakes."

"No you didn't." Hiroki snapped. "I started it before I was sleep deprived."

"Ah… you got some sleep last night, too, right?" Miyagi asked, still lingering in the doorway.

"Ah, yeah… I thought I'd better. You should, too. Definitely get some sleep tonight, Kyouju. It worked wonders for me."

"Good for you… your skin also looks particularly smooth and shiny today, Ka-mi-jo-u!"

"…Leave."

-.--.--.-

"Sempai, you look tired." Nowaki stated as he and his blonde senior walked toward the subway together. "Maybe you should get some sleep tonight."

"I can't." Tsumori mumbled, shoulders slumped. "…I accidentally got myself hooked on this TV series and even if I tried to go to sleep without watching at least one more episode, I wouldn't be able to sleep."

"…"

"…But the thing is, I can't watch just one… every single episode ends in this huge dramatic cliff-hanger! Can you believe that?!"

"…Sempai… don't you think your physical health should take precedence over your love for this… TV show?"

"My head knows it, but you know how the brain and heart combat all the time."

"…Over Hiro-san, but not over a TV show."

"Well, maybe the TV show is to me what that guy is to you." Tsumori huffed, argumentatively.

"No." Nowaki replied, bluntly, and his blonde friend laughed.

"Well, I'd better be off. Take care of yourself. See you in a day or so…"

"I'll still be on call." Nowaki pouted. Even though tomorrow was technically his day off, he would probably get called in.

"I told them to give you a break, besides, things are slow enough now to where we should feel safe going to sleep. It's okay for them to call someone else in once in a while! They need to quit relying so heavily on us.

"But tomorrow isn't _your _day off…" Nowaki pointed out.

"No… no it isn't…" The blonde sighed, dejectedly. "See you."

Nowaki shook his head with a smile before heading off in another direction. An icy wind breezed past him and he shuddered, involuntarily, tugging his scarf tighter around his neck.

He smiled up into the gray sky. The lack of light, even in the early evening may have made most feel a bit dismal, but thoughts of winter always brought a smile to Nowaki's face. During the winter time, his lover Kamijou Hiroki often 'got cold,' presenting Kusama Nowaki with quite a few if not many chances to hold or touch the other man.

Giddy at the very thought, he quickened his pace, wondering if his beloved would be waiting for him at home. For a moment, he reconsidered the kotatsu idea… then again, even if his precious Hiro-san _was_ slightly more likely to go to the heated table for a source of warmth, it meant more time spent between the two at home.

"Excuse me!" A man tapped him on the shoulder from behind, suddenly, and Nowaki blinked, turning to look at the raggedy old man, who was rolling his hands one over the other in an attempt to keep warm.

He had an almost skeletal frame, long white frizzy hair and a beard, liver spots all over his skin, and rags for clothes, it seemed. His toes were peeking through his shoes, as well…

"Err… yes, sir?" Nowaki asked.

"M-might you have some spare change on you, sir?" The man asked, and Nowaki dug through his pockets, unsure as to whether or not he had any to spare. He realized for the third or so time this week that he shouldn't have come this way.

He probably should have gone the longer route; this time of year, there were tons of bums and homeless people lingering around the streets. It wasn't that Nowaki didn't want to give what little change he had in his pocket, it was just that walking this way put a damper on his otherwise happy mood, as the thought of homeless people often made him feel a little sad and depressed.

"I don't have much, I spent what I had on me at work today, but here you go." Nowaki handed over what he had. The man looked into his hand, smiling happily as though he were a child who'd been given a piece of candy. He looked up at Nowaki, quite cheerfully, and said;

"Thank you, young man! Thank you very much!"

"He's just gonna spend it on booze." Snapped a voice from off to the side of the two.

"Eh?" Nowaki and the man both turned to a kid who was sitting on top of a wooden crate at the opening of an alley, knees tucked under his chin, arms wrapped tightly around them.

"That's not true!" The man snapped, annoyed. "I may have very little pride, young man, but even I have enough pride to-"

"Bull, bull, bull, I've seen you work these same streets over and over, every day and every night, and you only ever get about as much as that guy gave you, and what do you do with it?"

"Not what you think, you damn brat!" The man snapped as the boy stood, rubbing the snow off of his bare knees, annoyed before folding his arms.

"Well I don't know, but I do know that every couple weeks, I see you with a bottle of this or that, but it's always alcohol! Get yourself a job or something if you're going to take handouts!"

"Uuuh… is he related to you?" Nowaki asked the old man, who huffed.

"The only relative I have is my twenty four year old granddaughter who GIVES ME those bottles, thank you very much!" The man huffed. "That little brat's some punk orphan who needs to mind his manners and keep his own mouth shut."

"…You're… living on the streets?" Nowaki asked the boy. "How old are you?"

"What's it to you, pedo?" The boy huffed, turning his body as though he were ready to dash any moment

He looked energetic enough, for a bum... though most children around his age typically were… He appeared to be anywhere from six to nine, with a small, somewhat lanky frame, dark hair and tan skin, smudged with dirt all over, his clothes were just about as raggedy as the old man, but his shoes seemed to be in good condition. Perhaps someone had felt charitable and had given them to him- or perhaps the boy hadn't been on the street very long…

"…Well, if you're an orphan, there's this orphanage not far from-" Nowaki began, but was immediately cut off, as though the boy had been anticipating this statement;

"Yeah, where do you think I came from? I'm not going there, so quit with your kind Somerton act and keep walking! Oh, and for your own sake, if you see smelly old men trying to bum money off of you, you should tell them NO! Otherwise they'll just keep taking advantage of you."

Nowaki stared at the boy's trembling fingers and his glaring eyes, curiously. He'd walked down this path everyday for the past couple days and had never seen this boy before.

"…You see… I'm new walking this way…" Nowaki smiled. "You seem to have a better grasp on how I should go about getting home safely… you have some street smarts, huh?"

"Yeah, well…" The boy scratched his cheek, averting his gaze, annoyed, "I'm kinda new here, too…"

"But you seem to have more common sense than I do… how would you like to help me to make sure I get home safely?" Nowaki inquired.

"Huh?" the boy looked up, blinking.

"Kind of like a job… I'll pay you with something warm to eat… it's just that I simply don't know what might happen to me if I don't have someone who has some street smarts to accompany and … to protect me, that is." Nowaki smiled.

The boy stared at him with that piercing glare, and for a moment, Nowaki wondered if the boy was too smart to buy into his offer.

"…Yeah, well… I've got some time to kill; I guess I could be your bodyguard for a minute." The boy hopped off of the crate and walked up to Nowaki. "…Come on, then."

The other vagabond simply shook his head, smiling at Nowaki as he headed off with the orphan leading him.

-.--.--.-

"So you came from the Kusama orphanage?" Nowaki asked as the two made their way toward Nowaki's home.

"Yeah…" The boy replied as he walked, struggling to keep up his make-believe 'cool' persona; arms folded casually behind his head, eyes closed.

"You should know that I also grew up there." Nowaki smiled.

"…Grew up there?" The boy asked, glancing up at him.

"Well, actually, I was there from the time I was a baby, until I was old enough to get a job or two…" 'Or six…'

"So no one wanted _you_, either, huh?" The boy asked.

Nowaki froze, eyes widening as the boy continued walking on without noticing. Painful memories from his childhood returned… the feeling of making friends, loving other orphans like siblings only to have them ripped away, adopted because they were cuter, or smarter, or younger… Wishing with all your heart that someone would find you to be cute, or smart, or loveable enough to adopt…

Feeling pathetic, knowing you were smiling your hardest, and being on your best behavior, only to not get chosen, and then feeling so fake for having done so…

Sadly, he forced himself to continue on, catching up with the boy.

"It's not that no one wanted me-"

"Were you ever adopted?" The boy asked, again.

"…Well, no…"

"Then no one wanted you… don't tell me you lived there until you could get a job and then you STILL couldn't figure _that_ out."

"…Is that why you left?" Nowaki asked, contemplating on whether or not he should risk handing over his scarf. This kid had a lot of pride, and he didn't want him running away from him just yet…

"It's one of the reasons… but, I'm not like those other kids."

"Oh?" Nowaki finally let his concern win. He removed his scarf and handed it to the boy. "Can you please carry this for me, my neck is getting hot.

"Yeah, I don't need some stupid grown up looking after me! I can look after myself." The boy continued, absently taking the scarf and wrapping it around his own neck.

"How old are you?" Nowaki smiled.

"Mmm… why do you keep asking that?!" The boy snapped, annoyed.

"Well, depending on how old you are, I might be able to set you up with a job..."

"I don't need your charity! You managed just fine on your own, and if a ditz like you could make it, I bet I can, too!" The boy huffed, glaring at the ground, but Nowaki could see the hopeful look in the child's eyes.

"Well, I was a lot older than you are when I went to go get a job…"

"…So what kinda job was it?" The boy asked, looking up, glad Nowaki hadn't dropped the subject at his blatant protest.

"A newspaper route… that was my first job, but I held onto it until I turned eighteen." Nowaki smiled.

"How old were you when you left Kusama?" The boy inquired, and Nowaki smiled, playfully, turning his head away as if refusing to answer.

"Why do you want to know?" He asked.

The boy blinked before smirking. "Hey, for a giant dummy who kinda comes across as a doormat, I kinda like you."

"Glad to hear it." Nowaki turned and the boy blinked, staring up at the large apartment complex.

"This is where you live?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, one of the apartments inside. It's nice and big and warm… we recently moved."

"We?" The boy asked, kicking a rock out of some snow at his feet as he lowered his gaze to the ground. "So you grew up and had a family, huh? A pretty wife and some kids, maybe? A pet bunny?"

Nowaki stared, stupefied at the boy's odd ideal family, but then he found himself laughing, softly. "Not exactly…"

"Well… anyway, thanks for helping me kill some time, I should be going now."

"But, I already offered to give you a bite to eat." Nowaki blinked. "Won't you come inside, just for a moment?"

"I'm not hungry." The boy lied, shrugging. Nowaki couldn't tell if he hesitated due to pride or stories of kidnappings or manners, or what, but he could tell the kid wanted badly to be pressured to go inside, even if only for the promise of a warm meal, or a chance to get out of the freezing cold. He was wearing shorts, after all, and even though he wore a rather large jacket, it only came down to his knees, same as his shorts, so his legs were pretty much exposed.

"Well, you could at least step in for a moment to get out of the cold." Nowaki told him.

"Walking keeps me warm." The boy replied.

Nowaki smiled. He wouldn't be defeated by the boy, nor would he permit the child to feel as though he'd lose any pride by entering. "I'm not going to report you. Anyway, you wouldn't be thinking of keeping the scarf I gave you, now, would you?" He headed inside without retrieving it.

The boy looked up at him with wide but angry innocent eyes. At the promise of not being reported, and refusing to enable anyone to consider him a thief, the boy reluctantly followed Nowaki inside.

The two made their way to Nowaki's apartment.

"So, what's your name?" Nowaki asked, hands in his pockets despite that the boy was trying to hand him his scarf back.

"…It's Keiji." The boy replied, defeatedly, putting the scarf back on, not that he needed it. The second he'd stepped inside, he felt his legs go less numb, and any part of his body he could feel, began to warm up. "You don't need my family name, they gave me up anyway."

"Ah, a cautious leader, are we?" Nowaki smiled. (3).

"Yeah, I guess…" The boy muttered, rubbing his nose with his over-sized sleeve. "So is your family inside?"

"I don't really have a family, just a lover." Nowaki replied.

"Gross." The boy huffed, blushing lightly and averting his gaze, like most rascal-type of boys would.

"What's gross about loving someone?" Nowaki laughed.

"I dunno, I just think girls are gross, that's all…" The boy snapped.

"Well, then, you're in luck. My lover isn't a girl." Nowaki smiled, twisting the key in the door and opening it.

"Y-ya mean… y-you're a… a… one of those… err…" The boy blushed, stammering. "A guy who likes guys? A homo? Or are you an okama?" (4).

Nowaki laughed at that. "I'm definitely not an okama. I'm just in love with Hiro-san, that's all."

"Who the hell are you talking to?" Hiroki muttered from the couch, where he was typing, his laptop warming his legs as he did so.

"Hiro-san, I was in some trouble since I made the mistake of walking in a dangerous part of town, but I was lucky enough to meet someone who's far more street wise than I am who helped walk me home. He protected me the whole way." Nowaki stated, and Hiroki stared at him like he was on crack.

"…Err, if my sexuality doesn't frighten you, wouldn't you please come in?" Nowaki turned to the nervous boy in the doorway, who huffed.

"I'm not scared!" He snapped, heading inside and finally tossing the scarf into the apartment. It landed on the couch beside Hiroki.

Hiroki got to his feet, eyes narrowing on the boy in confusion before he looked at Nowaki.

"You know, you're rather dirty…" Nowaki informed the boy, "But after what I said, I'd understand if you decline… at the same time, I'll still offer; would you like to use our shower and get yourself cleaned up? Preferably _before_ you sit on anything?"

"Eh? Take a shower?" The boy asked, looking at his dirt-covered hands, blushing. "…How bad has it gotten? I haven't seen my own reflection in days."

"Days?" Hiroki repeated, confused.

"Kay, I'll shower… you make me something to eat and catch your uh… gay lover up to speed, I guess…" The boy shrugged. "But right after I eat, I'm leaving, okay?"

"Sure, sure." Nowaki smiled.

"…" The boy stared at the two before glancing at Nowaki. "So which of you is the girl?"

"Hah?!" Hiroki gawked.

"Neither of us… err… well… I guess the best way to explain it to a child, um… would be…" Nowaki tried thinking about it, but in reality, he'd never really thought about how to explain it to a child.

"Which one's the uke?" The kid asked. "That's what it's called, right?"

"THAT IS NO BUSINESS OF A FIVE YEAR OLD!" Hiroki bellowed.

"I'm not five, I'm seven and three fourths!" The boy snapped.

"Ah! Hiro-san, you got him to admit it!" Nowaki clapped, smiling. "Hiro-san is embarrassed, but I'm not. I'm the seme."

"Well no wonder _you're _not embarrassed. _You_don't play the role of a woman in bed." The boy snickered and Hiroki glowered at him. "Anyway, if that's the case…" Keiji took Hiroki's hand in his, suddenly, and kissed it.

Both Hiroki and Nowaki fell silent, gawking at him.

"Wh-what?" Hiroki tore his hand away, eye twitching. "Wh-why did-?"

"Well, before she died, my mother said to me, if I ever meet a homosexual, I should treat them like I would a lady, and not to contribute to the hatred in the world… anyway, where's your shower?" The boy asked.

"…Let's get one thing straight…" Hiroki snapped, on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "I am NOT a lady! I'm a guy! And I'm far manlier than this guy!"

The boy looked from Nowaki to Hiroki, then shook his head. "No you're not."

"Ah-!"

"Hiro-san, please show him to the bathroom." Nowaki piped up, nervously.

"…It's the room with a toilet in it." Hiroki pointed, and the boy glanced over his shoulder, then at Nowaki.

"…You sure it's okay?"

"Please." Nowaki smiled, and the boy shrugged, heading into the bathroom and closing and locking the door.

Hiroki turned, fuming to Nowaki, who had disappeared.

"NOWAKI!" He snapped, hurrying into the kitchen and opening up the pantry, glowering at his hiding lover. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I can explain-"

"FINE! Go ahead and explain!" Hiroki snapped, biting his tongue. His boss' lecture on active listening resonated in the back of his mind. He would force himself to hear his lover out… was this, perhaps, some sort of test from the Active Listener Gods, or something? Anyway, he'd pass for sure! Besides, he was pretty much speechless about the whole ordeal anyway.

"…I was on my way home from work with Sempai-"

"What do you mean 'with Sempai?!'"

FAIL.

"…That's pretty much irrelevant to this story…" Nowaki sighed.

"Well maybe I want every detail!" Hiroki huffed.

"…Okay…" Nowaki blinked. "…I was walking out of the hospital with sempai, because he had gotten off at the same time as me, and for a little while, I tried to let him walk ahead of me, because I had this random itch on the back of my upper thigh, and I wanted to scratch it, but I didn't want him to think I was-"

"Not THAT detailed, you idiot." Hiroki snapped.

"Oh… well, he and I split up about a block or two away from the hospital, and instead of going the longer way, I went the short way toward the bus station, and then a guy stopped me and asked me for change-"

"And _of course_ you said 'HELL NO! Go get a job!!!' …right?!"

"That's horrible, Hiro-san! He was an elderly gentleman! But Keiji seemed to share your feelings on the matter-"

"Who's Keiji? The old man?"

"No, the boy I brought home." Nowaki replied.

"…Okay, so he told you to quit being an idiot, and because he saved you from giving your money to some guy who would just spend it on who knows what, you brought him home?!"

"No, I still gave the gentleman what little change I had, it wouldn't have even gotten me something out of a vending machine… anyway, that boy is from Kusama orphanage… forgive me, Hiro-san, but I feel an affinity toward him."

"…" Hiroki sighed, frustrated. "This isn't another of your little 'A cat followed me home, can we please keep it?' sort of things, is it?"

"Not at all!" Nowaki replied.

"Good."

"I had to practically drag him here!" Nowaki informed the older man.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" Hiroki bellowed.

"Hiro-san, he's ten years old! Look what he was wearing; shorts in the winter time?! The weather channel said it would be freezing tonight, what if he gets sick? Worse, what if he dies, or gets picked up on by some crazy guy or pervert?"

"He did get picked up by a crazy guy and pervert."

"I am not a pervert when it comes to anyone other than Hiro-san…"

"How can you say that without hesitation?" Hiroki blushed, annoyed, shaking his head. "Alright, alright, he can stay the night, but you have to take him to the orphanage tomorrow!"

"But I promised I wouldn't report him."

"Ugh." Hiroki growled. "Then WHAT did you plan on doing with him?!!"

"…I don't know…"

"BAKA! How can you do things without thinking about them?!"

"Um, well…" Nowaki averted his gaze.

"Forget it… you know that's what you'll end up having to do, and if it just takes us warming him up to the idea, then so be it." Hiroki snapped. That boy was going back to the orphanage, no questions asked.

"Well, if that's the case, please leave it to me, Hiro-san…" Nowaki pleaded with his lover.

"Of course you'll be the one to take care of it! It's your mess." Hiroki snapped. "And if that brat steals anything-"

"Hiro-san, I've known you for six years, now… why didn't I ever notice how cynical and hateful toward children and homeless people you are?" Nowaki mock-pouted.

"I'm not- I don't HATE children! I'm a teacher, of course I don't-"

"You teach university scholars, and you throw things at them, that really isn't helping to disprove my point…" Nowaki admitted, turning to the stove and getting dinner started.

"…" Hiroki let out a soft sigh as he folded his arms, leaning against the wall beside Nowaki. "…Nowaki, if there is a single strand of hope in your mind that you're clinging to about taking that child in, know this: It is NOT going to happen."

"Hiro-san-"

"Because having a kid around means absolutely NO sex." Hiroki finished, heading out of the room, but Nowaki caught his wrist, stopping him.

"So you're going to withhold?!" Nowaki asked, frustrated.

"No, idiot." Hiroki turned, flushing red. "There's just no way I'll do something like that with a kid in the place! That's wrong!"

"…Then how do parents give their children younger siblings?"

"They don't."

Nowaki stared, perplexed at his lover, unsure as to whether he really believed that, since he was an only child, or if he was joking.

"…Hiro-san… I know you probably like to think that your parents never had sex after they had you-"

Hiroki's eyes bulged. He never EVER wanted to think of his parents having sex, EVER! How could Nowaki say that so nonchalantly?!!

"I was just kidding!" He barked, "From what my female friends tell me, what few I have that is, sex for women isn't pleasurable, therefore, they don't make noise during, and what noise they do make is fake and forced… obviously, the case is much different for me. He would definitely hear."

"Oh, you mean because Hiro-san is so loud during-"

Nowaki was DAMN lucky the water he was boiling hadn't even gotten hot yet, because Hiroki curtly flung the contents all over his lover, storming out of the apartment.

"Hiro-san, wait, where are you going?!" Nowaki exclaimed, hurrying after him and grabbing his hand. "Hiro-san, please wait, I-"

"Um… excuse me…"

The two both blinked, turning to the source of the small voice. Their gazes were both met by the young boy, now squeaky clean and wearing one of Nowaki's shirts, which was about a billion sizes too big on him, (the sleeves hung over his hands past his hips and the bottom of the shirt nearly touched his bony ankles.

"I realized, after bathing and stepping into such a nice-smelling place that my clothes really reeked, and… I didn't want to put them on after bathing, so… I… kind of helped myself to this…"

"That's alright." Nowaki smiled, and Hiroki huffed, shutting his eyes.

"Anyway… if I'm causing some kind of trouble, I'll go… without hesitation, I'll go, so if your wife has a problem with me, just tell me, and I'll leave right away." Keiji promised.

"WIFE?!" Hiroki fumed, again, and Nowaki sighed, patting his lover on the head.

"Hiro-san is not my wife…" Nowaki informed the child. "Look, let's go ahead and introduce you two, properly, now, okay?!" He pushed Hiroki forward by the backs of his shoulders, despite that the annoyed brunette was digging his heels into the carpet in resistance.

"Keiji-kun, this is my _male _lover-"

"Kamijou Hiroki." Hiroki muttered, annoyed, tacking on an obligatory; "It's nice to meet you…"

"Yamaguchi Keiji." The boy held out a long sleeve to shake Hiroki's hand, and Hiroki's glare faded and he accidentally let out a light chuckle.

Nowaki smiled with excitement as he watched his lover quickly cover his mouth, and Keiji blushed, furiously, struggling to roll up the sleeve before shaking Hiroki's hand, obviously going for a strong, manly shake.

"Um… you never told me your name…" The boy pointed out, looking up at Nowaki.

"It's Kusama Nowaki." Nowaki smiled.

"Oh, you took the name of the orphanage? What a dumb name! When you get married, you should take Kamijou's name, it's much cooler."

"…You realize something like that is impossible in Japan, right?" Hiroki's eye twitched.

"Oh, I wasn't born in Japan…" The boy shrugged. "Though… where I'm from, it's a bit impossible there, too…"

"Not from Japan? I didn't think so." Nowaki blinked.

"…The reason I haven't been adopted is probably because of my skin color." The boy shrugged.

"…What nationality are you?" Hiroki asked.

"Well, my father is Japanese, that's why my name is Yamaguchi, but my mother was American- err… half African-American. She was an English to Japanese translator. She worked for the American government, and my father was a politician, but he lost his job because of some stupid decisions he made… anyway, my mom died about four years ago… A little after that time, my dad dumped me off at the orphanage."

The two stared at Keiji sadly, taking in everything he'd told them before exchanging glances.

"Sorry, I haven't started dinner, yet." Nowaki stated, and Hiroki cut him off on his way into the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder.

"I'll make it tonight, you two can watch some TV."

"…" Nowaki watched his lover's back retreat into the kitchen and he sighed, turning to the boy. "…You like TV?"

"There's this show I'm kind of hooked on… I missed the last couple of episodes, and every episode ends with a cliff-hanger, so I think I'll just catch it when they start re-airing it…"

"…You realize you have more self-control than most adults, right?"

"Mm…" The boy shrugged and Nowaki pet him on the head, fondly.

"Want to come with me to do a load of laundry? We can wash up your clothes, too."

"Okay…"

"Better yet…" Nowaki placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "…You seem to have just gotten warmed up, and since you just got out of the shower, I'd hate to take you out of the warm apartment with your hair wet, so let's just wait until morning."

"…Morning?" The boy frowned. "I thought you just said-"

"Just stay the night, Hiro-san already said it's okay."

"…Are you sure?" The boy's large eyes slowly shifted to the kitchen, and he whispered; "I don't think he likes me…"

"Hiro-san isn't a big fan of children, but that's because he's a teacher."

"…Oh…" The boy blinked. "Does he have little brothers and sisters?"

"No, Hiro-san is an only child!"

"Hmm…" The boy sat down on the couch beside Nowaki, who lifted Hiroki's laptop and stared at the words on the screen, curiously. He wondered if looking at prescriptions and diagnoses would look to Hiroki like this odd commentary from his lover's superior looked to him… Shrugging, he set the computer to the side before hesitating, then glancing at the kitchen, and pulling it back onto his lap. "If you'd like, we can look up the last episode you missed and watch it."

"Really?!"

"Sure!"

-.--.--.-

The three sat in silence for the first minute or two of their meal. Hiroki was actually working while eating, and Keiji was busy enjoying the delicious meal.

"How long have you been gone from Kusama orphanage?" Nowaki inquired.

"About four days, now." Keiji shrugged, taking a long drink from his glass of milk, then sighing, as though he hadn't had a drink in years.

"Ah, you like milk?" Nowaki smiled.

"I hate it." The boy replied, and Hiroki glanced up from his work.

"Then why did you ask for it and drink it, and then sigh in such a satisfied way?"

"After seeing Kusama-san, I REALLY wanna grow up to be really tall and fit!"

Nowaki laughed, softly and Hiroki huffed.

"It has more to do with genetics than drinking milk." Hiroki mumbled.

"But drinking milk will help, right?" Keiji asked Nowaki, who nodded. "You're a doctor, right?"

"Well… not quite yet-"

"And you're a college professor?"

"Uh-huh…" Hiroki had gone back to typing.

"Me, I wanna be a writer!"

Hiroki looked up at this. "A writer?"

"Yep! I like books… but sometimes I think they get a little boring and cliché, so I wanna write my own books!"

"…Huh… I have a friend I'm sure you'd like…" Hiroki smiled, lightly. "So what're your books about?"

"Well, I like horror, so the one I'm working on in my head right now is about a guy who went to another country to capture a really poisonous kind of spider, it's his job, I guess, and they had it secured, but the plane hits turbulence and the glass aquarium the spider was contained in gets dropped and it breaks open, and the spider gets onto the plane and starts to kill the passengers one by one!"

"…" Hiroki just gawked at him. "Uh… th-"

"That's… morbid and disturbing…" Nowaki laughed, softly. "Do you like spiders?"

"I hate them."

"…" The lovers exchanged glances yet again.

"So… do you have any brothers or sisters?" Nowaki asked.

"…She got adopted."

Nowaki frowned. "So you did have a little sister?"

"She was a baby… she went pretty fast… I'm happy… she was taken to a really good home… sissy wasn't like me, father had another woman right after mom passed, so sissy's full Japanese."

"…I see… I'm sorry to hear that you were separated… it must have been very painful…" Nowaki frowned.

"…" Keiji stabbed a piece of meat and stuck it in his mouth, shrugging. "Like I said, I was happy for her. Besides, she's better off without me."

"That's stupid." Hiroki huffed. "If you have a sibling, you should want to stay with them to protect them, right?"

"…I was protecting her… by letting her go." Keiji glared at him. "You're an only child, right? You don't understand. All you have is ideals… maybe you're right… maybe I should have tried harder to work it out to where we'd be kept together, but… those two definitely wouldn't want me… Nobody would, so… keeping her by my side would only mean more loneliness for her in the future… as it is, she was adopted by a family who had two other girls. She'll have sisters… she'll live a nice life… and I'm keeping track of her… they were kind enough to leave me that much… when I grow up and become rich, I'll take her back! And I'll make sure she's well taken care of…"

"…Mm…" Nowaki frowned, sadly. "Keiji-kun…"

"Well, you're off to a crappy start, then, if those are your intentions." Hiroki spoke up, annoyed.

"What do you mean?" The boy huffed.

"You're homeless, jobless, and do you want to die out there in that cold?"

"…I'll live…"

"Bull." Hiroki snapped. "…Nowaki will take you to get a paper route tomorrow, and we'll see where things go from there…" He picked up his empty dishes. "If you'll excuse me, I have to finish my work."

"You sure work a lot…"

"It's almost time for some important exams… if you were in school, you'd understand." Hiroki huffed.

"I've only missed two days of school… if I go back, they'll tell Kusama- err, the orphanage where I am!"

"In my class, if you miss more than three days, you're not permitted to take the upcoming exam." Hiroki huffed. "You should go back to school and consider it your number one priority."

"I have my pride to consider!" The boy snapped.

"Good. Be prideful of the fact that you'll be attending school like a normal student, and that you'll have a part time job. Nowaki will work things out with the orphanage; he's a highly liked person over there."

"…I guess… we can see…" The boy averted his gaze, annoyed.

"Good. You two should go to bed, it's getting late, and you have a big day ahead of you, tomorrow."

"…Thanks, I guess… for everything…" The boy patted his belly. "The truth is… I haven't had anything to eat in a couple days, now."

"I'll make a bento for you for school tomorrow." Hiroki told him. "Go get some sleep."

"…Thank you guys…" Keiji mumbled, nervously. "…Wh-where shall I sleep?"

"Nowaki and I have different rooms-"

"Ah! Are you saving for marriage?" The boy's eyes sparkled with hope and innocence.

"…Yeeeaaah, let's go with that." Hiroki muttered. "…And the two of us will sleep in my room- err… we'll just have to work a little harder to uh… you know… resist… temptation… and all that…"

"This way." Nowaki led the child to his room.

Knowing he'd probably be hit if he tried, he refrained from tucking the boy in. The boy settled into his bed rather comfortably before smiling up at him.

"…What?" Nowaki laughed, softly, unable to resist.

"Just thinking… this must be what it feels like to have a loving family… who would have thought… my idea of the perfect family was always a handsome, strong, tall guy like you for a father, and a nice, pretty, sweet lady for a mother, and sissy, of course… some other brothers and sisters, and a pet bunny… but… this is equally as nice… I like Hiro-san."

"Ah… you probably shouldn't call him that…" Nowaki stammered.

"Oh? Hiroki-san, then?"

"…Well… you'd have to ask him, he's a bit touchy about certain names."

"Kamijou-san, then, I guess, is my safest bet… anyway, I like him. Kamijou-san. He's honest, and speaks his mind…"

"Yeah, he never holds back when it comes to speaking his mind… sometimes he's a little slow when it comes to expressing his feelings, though."

"…I can definitely understand that…" Keiji yawned, suddenly. "…You're sure it's okay for me to stay here?"

"Perfectly fine. Goodnight, I will take you to Kusama orphanage tomorrow morning, and then to school, and then I'll pick you up as long as everything has been properly worked out, and I'll take you to see my friend about getting you a job delivering newspapers."

"…Thanks for everything… Kusama-san…"

"Nowaki-san is fine." Nowaki smiled.

"Nowaki-san, then." Keiji smiled.

"…Before I leave… can I ask you something?" Nowaki smiled.

"Un!" The boy nodded.

"…Earlier, when we had just met… you told me you'd been watching that old jiisan for a while, a few weeks, right?"

"Ah- I've really only been on the street for four days, but… I've been keeping tabs on that old jiisan everyday after school…"

"Oh, I see… why is that?"

"I was hoping to learn from him for the day I escaped, but… the more I watched him, the more I realized I didn't want to be a bum like that."

"…What were you going to do if I hadn't come along?" Nowaki blinked.

"I had these." The boy got up and headed for the clothes that Nowaki had tossed in his hamper. He reached into the dirty denim shorts' pocket and pulled out a small zip-lock bag full of small black things.

"…?" Nowaki cocked his head to the side, curiously. "What is it?"

"Seeds." The boy replied. "Apple seeds. I was going to grow an apple tree and eat that…"

Nowaki stared at the boy incredulously before smiling and wrapping his arms around him.

"Eh?" Keiji blinked, blushing lightly and slowly hugging back. "Wh-why… are you…?"

"…Keiji-kun… that absolutely wouldn't work… don't you know how long it takes to grow apple trees?"

"…Well… it can't take that long… we grew one over night at the orphanage…"

"They planted a tree that was already grown…" Nowaki shook his head with a small laugh.

"Wh-why are you hugging me? Am I being made fun of?" The boy pouted, annoyed, but still didn't let go. It felt really good to be held by a kind adult.

His father had never held him like this… well… except the day he'd dropped him off at the orphanage… but the hug had been cold, and his father had abandoned him… and here was Nowaki, his embrace was warm, and he had taken him in out of the kindness of his heart…

"It's just that when you said that, you sounding so naïve, I thought it was very cute."

"I… I'm not cute…" The boy argued, letting his arms slowly lower. "I'm just weird-looking…"

"You're cute!" Nowaki smiled, petting him on the head. "…Now cutely lie down in bed and cutely go to sleep."

The boy, unable to fight the smile that had worked its way onto his face, nodded and he lay down under the blankets. Nowaki tucked him in and the boy didn't hit him.

"Goodnight, Nowaki-san."

"Goodnight, Keiji-kun." Nowaki turned off the light before gently closing the door.

"Um, wait-!"

He opened it quickly, blinking. "Yes?"

"…C-can you leave it open…? Just a crack?"

"…" Nowaki smiled. "Yes…" He left it open about an inch and a half before heading back into the kitchen.

-.--.--.-

Hiroki was just finishing with the bentos; one for himself, one for Nowaki, and one for the boy, setting them all on the table.

Nowaki wrapped his arms around Hiroki from behind. "Hiro-san?"

"Hmm?"

"I can't tell if you're putting up a front because of Keiji-kun… are you mad at me?"

"I am."

"Ah…" Nowaki pulled away, frowning. "Hiro-san, I had to-"

"Admitting to being seme in front of him! What's wrong with you?"

"Eh…? That's all you're mad about? You'd be surprised at what children pick up on in orphanages… it's like being in school all the time, and kids speak the truth… based on what they know… at his age, I already knew all about that sort of thing…"

"…Th-that is sad in itself…" Hiroki sighed, scratching his head.

"When did Hiro-san learn about sex? Hiro-san, you said you knew you liked men since you were ten years old… that's when you were in love with Usami-san, right?"

"…" Hiroki sighed, scratching his head. "…Yeah… but I didn't understand much about sex until later, of course."

"Ah… I see…" Nowaki nodded. "…Hiro-san, you had a mother and father who loved you very much, didn't you?"

"Yeah… you know… I haven't spoken to my mother in a while… maybe I should give her a call…"

"…Hiro-san… I love you." Nowaki told his lover, and Hiroki blinked.

"Mm… Nowaki… you get too mushy around kids, he really has to be gone by tomorrow." He teased, heading into his room.

"Don't say such things… if Keiji-kun were to overhear, he doesn't know you well enough to understand your sense of humor, and he would probably get the wrong idea and become upset."

Hiroki climbed into the bed and stretched.

"Don't you have some work to do?"

"I'll do it in the morning…" Hiroki replied, and Nowaki climbed in the bed beside him, snuggling close.

"Hiro-san… good night… I love you."

"…Nowaki-baka… I love you… sentimental idiot."

After a moment of quiet breathing and the sound of blankets ruffling together, Nowaki slowly raised his hand up, the backs of his index and middle finger brushing up and down against the skin on Hiroki's arm. "…Can we really not-?"

"NO." Hiroki snapped. "Go to sleep."

"…What if I just sucked on-"

"GO TO SLEEP."

"…"

"…"

"…But Hiro-san, you're already-"

"ZZZZZZZ." Hiroki feigned an obnoxious snore, and Nowaki pouted, cuddling closer.

To be Continued

-.--.--.-

_**REVIEWS ARE LUV!**_

**Cultural Notes: **

(1) Kotatsu- a kotatsu is a Japanese table with a heating blanket placed between the frame of the table and the table top. The type that Nowaki is referring to is one with an electric blanket, so it's a more modern type, whereas Kamijou probably had the traditional type, but it would still probably be sentimental for him.

(2) "Smooth and shiny skin," as is explained in the anime episode 10, (and manga vol. 5), is indicative of someone's having had sex. Supposedly, after you've had sex, your skin looks healthier, lol.

(3) "Ah, a cautious leader are we?" Nowaki says this because Keiji's name means 'one who leads with caution.' I chose the name after googling Japanese name meanings, because I felt it suited the character. Yamaguchi is simply a common Japanese surname.

(4) Okama- An okama is a Japanese homosexual who is viewed as feminine or who cross dresses. (Like a drag queen.)

**Byouin- **Hospital

**Tadaima- **"I'm home." (An expression that is used when you have just returned)

**Okaeri- **"Welcome home." (An expression used to greet the person who has just returned home- it is usually said after one calls 'okaeri!'

**Gomen- **Sorry

**Kotatsu- **(See above)

**Sempai- **Senior (title)

**Sensei- **Teacher (title)

**Kyouju- **Professor (title)

**Uke- **The receiver of a homosexual relationship ( the person on bottom. )

**Okama- **(See above- number 4)

**Seme- **Oposite of the uke, The 'attacker' in a homosexual relationship (the one on top.)

**Jiisan- **Jiisan means "grandpa" but is often a term used to refer to an old man.


	2. The next day

**AN: ** Thank you for your reviews; they are appreciated.

-.--.--.-

The next morning, Nowaki and Hiroki both awoke to the sound of a loud clattering.

Hiroki threw off the covers, but Nowaki was the first one out the door. He hurried toward the kitchen and froze at the sight that met him.

Keiji was getting ready to make breakfast, (or attempt to, anyway), and when he had opened a cupboard to grab a skillet, the entire contents of the cupboard had spilled out; crashing to the floor.

The seven year old looked up, frowning. "Sorry, Kusama-san…"

Hiroki peered around his lover, blinking. "…You made a big mess." He huffed, grouchily.

"I was trying to make breakfast." Keiji frowned, head lowering in shame.

"…What're you making?" Hiroki sniffed the air.

"Pancakes… western-style, I guess…"

"Pancakes?" Hiroki couldn't remember the last time he'd had pancakes. Did they even have the ingredients? What the hell were pancakes made out of, anyway?

Nowaki laughed softly, heading inside and placing a hand on Keiji's shoulder. "I'll help you finish up, alright? Hiro-san, get ready for work."

"Mm…" Hiroki left and Nowaki began cleaning up.

Keiji's shoulders were still shrugged in nervousness. "…I-I really didn't mean to make such a horrible noise… sorry about that…"

"It's alright. That's what happens when Hiro-san sets traps like that."

"Traps?" Keiji blinked.

"Mm… it's the term I use for when Hiro-san puts something in a cupboard, drawer, closet, or on top of the fridge to where if you open whatever it is, the contents come spilling out."

Keiji blinked before laughing, softly. "You call this a trap?"

"Yep."

"NOWAKI, YOU BASTARD!" Hiroki, who had been listening in from the hallway, entered the kitchen, fuming, and threw something at Nowaki's head.

Keiji turned and hurried into another room.

"Hey!" Hiroki caught him by the back of his shirt, and Keiji let out a small and somehow somewhat-masculine yelp.

"Go get ready, got it?" He snapped.

"Un." Keiji nodded, nervously.

"…And… do your best."

"Un!" Keiji smiled.

Hiroki released him and took his hairbrush back from Nowaki, annoyed.

"You **do** set traps." Nowaki huffed.

"I **don't**!!!"

-.--.--.-

The three finished getting ready, had a delicious breakfast while sharing few words, and they all headed off, together.

As the three walked to a street light, where they would have to part ways, Keiji glanced up at the two, one at a time.

"…What?" Hiroki snapped, upon noticing.

"…Just thinking… that… most couples will hold hands or something in public… so other people don't eye their lovers… like you noticed that woman eyeing Kusama-san, back there, but you didn't do anything other than look mad."

Hiroki's face flushed and Nowaki laughed, softly, daring not look back to see who Keiji was talking about. He hadn't noticed any stares- though… when one is as tall as Nowaki, one learns to ignore such things.

"This is Japan, brat! Two guys can't go walking down the street, holding hands, without being stared at!"

"Kusama-san doesn't mind being stared at; do you, Kusama-san?"

"Learn to be an adult, brat!"

"You're the brat! You're disregarding Kusama-san's feelings!"

"Kusama-san didn't say anything like that!" Hiroki fumed and 'Kusama-san' laughed, continuing past the bickering 'brats.'

"So can we stop somewhere to eat before going back to the orphanage?" Keiji asked.

"We just ate." Nowaki chuckled.

"I'm hungry."

"Alright, alright."

"NOWAKI! Don't give in so easily!"

"Sorry, Hiro-san… I find it hard to say 'no' to a cute face."

"Then do as _I _say and refuse his breakfast!"

"Yes, Hiro-san."

"But I want breakfast…" Keiji complained.

"YOU HAD BREAKFAST!"

"We'll stop somewhere after we drop Hiro-san off."

"NOWAKI!"

"He heard it." Keiji smirked and Hiroki growled, annoyed. "Hey… isn't your first name Hiroki?"

"That's Kamijou-san, to you!"

"So if it's Hiroki, why does he call you Hiro-san, instead of Hiroki?"

"You ask too many questions!!" Hiroki snapped. "No one calls me that except my parents and-"

"Hiroki!"

Nowaki frowned, annoyed as Hiroki turned, blinking.

Usami pulled up beside the three at the red light. "Do you need a ride?"

A brunette tried peeking past Usami, but he seemed to lose interest, going back to working on something.

"No thanks." Hiroki snapped.

"Who's that?" Usami pointed at Keiji, who blinked, staring at him.

"No one of any concern to you, Bakahiko, get lost!"

"My name is Keiji!" Keiji piped up, cheerfully.

"Don't talk to strangers!" Hiroki scolded.

"What's your name?" Keiji ignored Hiroki, excited to meet a new face.

"I said don't talk to him! He'll steal your essence!" Hiroki grabbed Keiji by the hand and started walking away.

"I'm Usami Akihiko… nice to make your acquaintance…" Usami, who always did as he wanted, apparently held no respect for the law, and continued driving, slowly, through the red light so he could continue speaking to the boy attached to Hiroki's hand.

"The pleasure is mine… I like your car!" Keiji stated, trying not to be tugged along by the frustrated brunette who held his hand, but to no avail.

"So do I."

Hiroki growled. "Don't you have any regard for the LAW?!!"

"Not so much, it would seem…" Nowaki continued walking, as well, hands in his pockets.

"I need a favor. Hiroki, I'll call you later." Usami snapped, poking his head back into his car and driving off.

"…What the hell was that?" Hiroki huffed, annoyed, voicing Nowaki's thoughts.

"…" Nowaki sighed, folding his arms.

"Ah- Kusama-san also gets jealous!" Keiji smirked, and Nowaki flushed, slightly.

"K-Keiji-kun… you're both observant as well as outspoken…"

"Too outspoken." Hiroki snapped. "We part ways here, kid. Nice meeting you."

"But who was that guy?"

"You just met him, did you forget his name already?!"

"How come he can call you Hiroki, but Kusama-san can't?"

"Because that's _different!_"

Nowaki blinked, a tad hurt, before masking his sadness with a small smile. "Keiji-kun, Hiro-san is going to be late to work… come on."

"…See you around, Kamijou-san." Keiji pouted.

"…Bye." Hiroki huffed, stepping into the street, only to nearly be run over by a car that sped toward him.

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki gasped, but the car stopped right in front of him.

"Kkhmmmkhhh…" Hiroki growled, deep in his throat, glowering at the people sitting in the front seats.

Miyagi smirked, leaning against his steering wheel. "Cross on the green, not in-between, Kamijou!"

"THAT'S MY LINE! WHY IS IT _BUMP-INTO ASSHOLE_ DAY?!!"

"Kkm…" Nowaki glowered at Miyagi and Keiji, ever the perceptive pre-teen that he was, noticed, immediately.

"Is he also one of Kamijou-san's ex-boyfriends?"

Nowaki gawked down at the child. "WHAT?! NO!!! Neither of them!"

"…Hm." Keiji blinked. "…You're jealous, though…"

"That's just… ah… because I don't have a car… now come on…" Nowaki glanced once more at his lover, who was bickering with that university professor.

After what only appeared to take a moment of persuasion, Hiroki climbed into the back seat of the car and it sped off, somewhere.

Nowaki frowned. He turned, heading down the other way. "Come on, Keiji."

"…Un!" Keiji followed, running for a moment to catch up before stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Hey, Kusama-san?"

"Hmm?"

"…Did you have anybody when you were growing up in the orphanage?"

"What do you mean?" Nowaki smiled. "I had many people! All the other orphans, and the people who work there-"

"But I mean… someone special?"

"No… not really." Nowaki smiled. "Hiro-san is my first special person!"

"Really? Huh… were you funny-looking, growing up or something?"

"NO." Nowaki laughed. "Well… I don't know… I guess… I've always been very tall, anyway…"

"Mmm… I bet it's convenient."

"Not always. When I was very young, I'd be too tall for the beds they always tried to put me in…"

"Oh?" Keiji smirked. "So what? Then you can have two beds!"

"No… I just had to cram myself into one, really." Nowaki smiled. "Where did you want to eat at?"

"…It really bothers you, doesn't it?" Keiji let out an exasperated sigh. "I can tell, even now, you're still thinking about it. You can talk to me about it, you know?"

"What is it I'm bothered by?" Nowaki blinked. "Being tall?"

"Nah… that Kamijou-san still has friendly relationships with his ex boyfriend."

"No…" Nowaki huffed. "They're really not like that! The first one is his childhood friend and the second one is his boss."

"Heh, his boss tried to run him over… he must not be very good at work…"

"It's usually the students…"

Keiji laughed at Nowaki's quip. "…But still… I wonder if he knows you're self-conscious about it…"

Nowaki's hair frazzled with frustration. "No? It doesn't bother me!"

"It sure does!"

"It doesn't!"

"Yep. It definitely does."

"Why do you feel that way?"

"Because you're mad and all worked up, and you don't seem like the type to get so easily worked up about things."

"…" Nowaki inhaled. "Where did you want to eat at?"

"Mmm… I want meat. Protein! So I can get big and strong- like Kusama-san!"

"Yeah? Alright, let's find somewhere… but then we HAVE to go to Kusama, okay?"

"Okay, okay… you know, you can talk along the way, if you really wa-"

"So is there a special person in Keiji-kun's life?"

"Maybe I'll steal Kamijou-san from you, if you don't get tougher about protecting the one you love."

"You're not Hiro-san's type." Nowaki smiled. "And I really don't think he's yours."

"Nah…" Keiji blushed, slightly, looking at his feet. "There's this girl I liked… but she got adopted."

"Oh." Nowaki frowned. It was a feeling he knew all too well. Becoming attached to a person you grew to care deeply for, only to wake up one morning, and they'd be gone…

"…What was her name?" Nowaki smiled, sadly.

"Arisa."

"Mmm…" Nowaki frowned. "…Did she like you back?"

"Yep! Of course!"

Nowaki laughed. "How do you know?"

"Everyone likes me! Mostly because they think they have to… but… she was different. She liked me because of who I am. That's why… to me… she was really special… nn… the truth is… I ran away from Kusama, because I thought I might be able to find her… I have this letter." He pulled it out of his pocket. "…It came from her real father… he would send her letters, every once in a while… she'd open them and cry, sometimes, reading them, when she thought no one was watching-"

"Were you spying on her?!" Nowaki stopped, noticeably disturbed.

"NO!" Keiji flushed, deeply. "But she would go hide in a corner, somewhere, to read, and I'd… just… happen to see her, okay?! It's not like there're a lot of hiding places in Kusama. If you try'n hide, someone'll find you and tell you to stay where they can keep an eye on you."

"Ah… yes… the furnace room is the best hiding place."

"It used to be, but they walled it off."

"Really? When?"

"A year or two ago."

"Aww…" Nowaki pouted.

"Anyway, they got the letter, and put the forwarding address on it, then put it back in the mail box. So I snagged it and took off… I thought I could find it on my own… but…" He sighed, again, crumpling it back up and putting it in his pocket. "I don't understand how to read streets at all…"

"Want me to take a look?" Nowaki frowned.

After a hesitant pause, Keiji handed it over.

Nowaki smiled at it. Children really did cling to things, sentimentally, but they took such horrible care of those things, physically… He un-crumpled the envelope and took a look at the address. "…Osaka? You'd have to take a train, or bus, or car, you know…"

"I know." Keiji took it back, stuffing it in his pocket, again.

"…Maybe I'll take you there." Nowaki smiled.

"Yeah?!" Keiji smiled, excitedly.

"If you agree to stay in Kusama. Someone will definitely adopt you, Keiji. You're a very good person."

"…Thanks." Keiji smiled, lightly. "…Kamijou-san… he doesn't like kids, does he?"

"…Not really."

"And you?"

"I love children."

"It's kind of sad, isn't it?" Keiji frowned. "Being unable to have kids."

"I want to be a pediatrician. To compensate, I suppose." Nowaki smiled.

"Yeah?"

"Un." Nowaki smiled. "…Keiji… I might not be able to adopt you… but we can still see each o-"

"I'm very sorry!" Keiji snapped, suddenly.

"Eh?" Nowaki blinked.

"I wasn't trying to say I want you to adopt me or anything like that! Please don't misunderstand! I was just talking and didn't stop to think! I really didn't mean-"

"Keiji…" Nowaki frowned, falling silent for a moment, awkwardly. "…Keiji-kun… it has nothing to do with what I want. Two gay men can't adopt, and even if we could… Hiro-san doesn't like or want children."

"I already said that's not what I meant!" Keiji huffed, but Nowaki sensed that the child was somewhat disappointed. The pang stung ten-fold, because he knew that same sting, all too well… The hope an orphan feels when they meet a kind adult, outside of the orphanage. Trying so hard to stop hoping like that, to fight the feelings of hope, because you know you'd only burden those kind people, or that they would get to know you and dislike you, or that they were only being kind because you were an orphan, without really even understanding it, at all…

Yes… he was very in-tune with this child's pain… and this pain hit home, moreso than any other he'd felt in a long time…

-.--.--.-

"Ka~mi~jo-u~!!!" Miyagi sang as he entered their office. "I'm finished early! I thought I'd see you real quick, before you go to your next class."

"Why? What's going on?" Kamijou asked, hurriedly getting his things together.

"Nothing important, I just wanted to ask you a question."

"About what?" Kamijou snapped, organizing some folders.

"Who was that child you were with, this morning?"

"Who was that child YOU were with, professor?"

Miyagi's grin fell from his face and he glowered, quite sternly at Kamijou. "Your jokes are getting old, Kamijou."

"As old as you are, compared to that child?" Kamijou smirked. He was certainly on a roll, today.

"As old as you look with those wrinkles between your eyebrows." Miyagi snapped, back.

"I don't look old." Kamijou folded, annoyed, "So what about the kid?"

"What was with that kid?"

"What about him?" Kamijou repeated, taking a drink of his coffee.

"Is he your kid?"

Kamijou choked on his coffee, gagged, coughed, and continued coughing for a bit.

"Kamijou, you're such a drama queen." Miyagi snapped, raising his arms in the air. "Hold your arms up, like this, so the oxygen can flow through your lungs more freely."

Kamijou shook his head, spastically, as he kept coughing, indicating that he would most certainly NOT hold his arms up in the air like a fool.

"Alright, fine, die."

Kamijou caught his breath at last before glowering at his superior. "What the hell do you mean by asking if he's MY kid?!"

"Not just yours- I meant yours and… you know… that big fellow."

"Nowaki!"

"Nowaki, Nowaki… nope… it just isn't appropriate for me to call him that."

"WHO ASKED YOU TO?!"

"What shall I call him?"

"Kusama-san."

"Kusama-_kun_'s and yours, then." Miyagi smirked.

"You bastard! What makes you think he's our kid?! That's impossible!" Kamijou snapped.

"How so? There's adoption."

"Not in Japan!"

"Because he used to be an orphan, didn't he?" Miyagi recalled. "I wonder if he'd like to adopt… I bet he would… you told me once that he's really good with kids."

"Not good with kids like how you're good with kids-"

"One more, and you go home early." Miyagi snapped.

"Oh?" Kamijou smirked. "Then who will do your work for you, professor?"

"You. Tomorrow. I'll leave a big pile on your desk, with a pink sticky-note that reads: 'Kusama Hiroki.'"

"Don't leave your food or drinks unattended, professor." Kamijou threatened, to which Miyagi responded with a short laugh at his own expense.

"Anyway, you should give his feelings some thought. After all, he spoils _you _so much, would it really kill you to show him some kindness?"

"You don't know what you're talking about- so don't talk about it." Kamijou huffed, gathering his things and heading out. "…The kid is from the same orphanage, though. Nowaki's taking him back there, today."

"…So I was right." Miyagi muttered to himself, after Kamijou had left. "I wonder if it would be possible for them to adopt? I know they make special cases for single people… I wonder what the circumstances are…"

"Do you always talk to yourself out loud?" Kamijou returned for his glasses, snagging them off the table.

"…Have you always had glasses?"

"…As long as you've known me."

"…Hmm…" Miyagi looked away, thoughtfully.

"…Idiot." Kamijou left, again. 'I need more _intelligent _people in my life…'

-.--.--.-

**AN: **End of chapter 2. The adoption process in Japan is fairly complicated… I'm fairly certain that homosexual couples are not allowed to adopt. Though I did discover something interesting. To bypass the fact that homosexuals can't marry in Japan, there are couples in which one of the partners will legally adopt the other. (Apparently, adopting adults is legal in Japan). This way, one can adopt the name of the other, and this proves to be beneficial for multiple medical reasons, as you can surely imagine. Fascinating, no? If anyone has more information about homosexual adoption, or links, that could help with this story, please ping me- so I don't have to do the research myself. XD I'm really busy- srsly.

Anyway, next chapter, Keiji causes a fight between our Egoist couple. Should be out around March or so. Maybe February? (Why am I asking you…?)


	3. Back to the Orphanage

**AN: **So I said March- my bad. XD Sorry. I had it written up and my computer crashed so I went on a temporary hiatus out of spite. Sorry about that. I haven't given up on the story, though. There're too many unresolved things…

**EDIT: **Just so you know, I changed Keiji's age to 7.75 yrs old. I have been informed that in Japan, orphans older than 8 cannot be adopted, SO I am changing the age- thank you very much to the person who told me! : D I appreciate constructive criticism regarding my cultural ignorance! I love learning more about Japan!

-.--.--.-

**Chapter 3**

-.--.--.-

"Excuse me." Nowaki called as he entered a small office building along a fairly busy road. "Kusama Nowaki, here."

A few men glanced up from huddling around their paperwork and one's face lit up at the sight of Nowaki.

"Kusama-kun!" The man waddled out from behind the other men and grabbed hold of Nowaki's hand, fondly shaking it. "I can't believe it, but you've gotten taller! How was America? I heard you got back a couple months ago!"

"Ah…" Nowaki laughed, rather nervously. "It was interesting-"

"Were you mistreated? Those Gaijin bastards can be such brutes!"

"I was well-liked, but that's common wherever I go…" Nowaki admitted.

"Of course it is!" The man chortled, clapping Nowaki roughly on the back. "Oh, who's this mangy mutt you got behind you?"

"This here is Keiji-kun. He is also an orphan from Kusama." Nowaki smiled, beckoning Keiji, encouragingly. "Introduce yourself."

"Yamaguchi Keiji… it's a pleasure to meet you." The boy held out his hand and the man smiled, taking his hand and shaking it, roughly.

"Oh, a big manly shake you got there, for such a small kid! I have a son about your age- you've got some good manners on you! Lookin' for a job? My son doesn't care for the route I've forced on him and his crappy-ass work ethic is starting to tick off some of our customers in the Kantou district."

"That's why we're here, actually." Nowaki smiled, petting Keiji on the head, affectionately. "He needs some extra money. Wants to start being a respectable working man, early."

"Ah?" The man stroked his chin, thoughtfully. "I was only kidding, really… I had to make an exception for my son, due to his age…"

"Your son isn't as motivated as me, I bet." Keiji stated, determined. "My work ethic will reflect the spirit of a true, respectable adult, I promise!"

The man laughed at his enthusiasm, smacking him on the head a couple of times. "I really like you, kid… alright, we'll try you out!"

"Really?!" Keiji gasped, excitedly, glancing from the man to Nowaki, then back up to him before bowing, politely. "Thank you very much! You won't regret your decision!"

"Glad to hear it! Start next week, kid."

"Thank you very much." Nowaki bowed, politely. "Let's get together for lunch sometime, Tanaka-san."

"Sure thing, Kusama-kun." The man smirked, waving goodbye.

-.--.--.-

"That guy was so nice!" Keiji practically sparkled as the two made their way toward the orphanage.

"Actually he's a racist pig, and I never really cared for him… aheheheh…" Nowaki admitted. "I'm surprised he gave you the job, considering your lovely color."

"Lovely?" Keiji smirked, proudly. "You think so?"

"Ah… I admire darker skin ever since visiting America. One day my study group headed to the beach for a one-day recovery and celebration in having completed a very hard exam, and I had this tan friend, who was unaffected, a lighter skinned friend who came out beautifully tan, and I was so burned I spent the next week just sitting stiffly in my chair, at home, studying. Hahaha…"

"Yep, I never burn!" Keiji told him. "The only time I get red is when I think of my darling, Arisa!"

Nowaki smiled. He really liked Keiji's ability to speak his mind freely and without holding back. In the short time he'd known the boy, he'd really grown on him. He blamed it on their shared backgrounds at Kusama Orphanage.

Speaking of which…

"Here we are." Nowaki gestured to the front gate. "Shall we enter, together?"

"…" Keiji sighed. "I probably should have told you this, yesterday…"

"Mm?"

"…I'm sorry I called you a pedo."

Nowaki laughed, taking his hand and heading to the front door. "I'm actually a bit nervous that you so easily followed some stranger home and headed into his house…"

"You have kind eyes."

"…Rapists and murderers could have kind eyes, you know."

"Hmpf!" Keiji huffed. "I can tell."

"Please promise me you'll be more careful in the future." Nowaki implored.

"Yeah, I will." Keiji huffed.

"Hello, there, Keiji." A woman approached the two, smiling. "Kusama-kun." She bowed. "I'm sure there's a long story as to why the two of you are showing up, together."

"Please invite us inside and we'll explain everything, thoroughly." Nowaki smiled.

-.--.--.-

"What was the favor you needed?" Kamijou muttered as he sat at his desk at lunch. Akihiko had ever-so-politely dropped by, unannounced. "Must be important if you'd show up, here."

"There's this novel I'm working on and I need your help."

"I'm busy."

"It's due, today."

"It was probably due yesterday!" Kamijou scoffed.

"…Last week."

"What is it? References?"

"Ugh… I don't know how to say this without making you more irritable than you already are." Akihiko admitted. "Do you remember that stream you almost drowned in, when we were kids?"

Kamijou huffed. "I remember it! What of it?!"

"I can't, for the life of me, remember the name, and I need it for the novel. I've put it off, thinking I could figure it out without asking you, but I have no other choice."

"…I don't remember."

"Yes you do."

"No, I really am trying to think of it, now… I just mentioned it, days ago, if you hadn't waited to ask me…" Kamijou pulled away from his desk and folded his arms, struggling to recall.

"I know. It's at the tip of my tongue, but when I try to say it, I get nothing… or an incoherent word." The novelist admitted.

"Had a te sound in it…"

"Or tsu… maybe?"

"It was in Kumamoto…" Miyagi spoke up from his side of the office, raising a photo. "It's written on the back of this photo-"

"WHERE did you GET that?!" Kamijou fumed, snagging it.

"You left a book lying around I was interested in and when I opened it- flup. It fell to the ground. When I picked it up, I saw that written on the back, flipped it around, and saw a chibi-Kamijou and a chibi… him." Miyagi pointed, and Usami smiled.

"I was cuter."

"Even back then, our lovely Hiroki had those horrible furrowed brows…"

"It's amazing he doesn't have wrinkles." Akihiko nodded.

"I was frightened that the two of you would ever meet." Kamijou muttered, turning back to his work. "Kyouju, this is the person who harasses and antagonizes me when I'm not here. Akihiko, this is the person who makes my life a living hell at work."

"I know who he is, we've only debated over his writing style a thousand times." Miyagi huffed, shaking Akihiko's hand, nonetheless. "Though I may not be as big a fanatic of your literary works, I've always been a fan when it comes to your ability to agitate Kamijou!"

"I've admired your work, in that department, as well."

Kamijou's eye twitched as he watched the two men radiate evil.l

"Anyway, I'm in your debt, this time, Hiroki, for bringing up bad memories." Akihiko turned to him. "As compensation, I offer you a warning… your mother sent me some strawberries, last weekend-"

"WHY YOU?!" Kamijou fumed.

"And she mentioned that she'd be stopping by for a surprise visit at your place, this weekend."

"…" Kamijou dropped the picture, gawking. "…WHAT?! Unannounced?!"

"Kamijou, you should call your mother, more often." Miyagi stated. "She calls here for you, and is so sad when you won't take her calls."

"…Please tell me you don't talk to her…"

"Of course I talk to her, a bit! I give her weekly reports on what a great assistant you are!"

"I hate you… how can you betray me this badly?"

"I also give weekly reports." Akihiko stated, just for the pure pleasure of seeing Hiroki squirm.

"You're both bastards!" Kamijou snapped, grabbing up his things and storming off to his next class.

"…Anything in particular you dislike about my writing style?" Akihiko inquired.

"Eh?" Miyagi blinked.

"He said you two debate over it… he's been in love with my novels since we were kids, so you must take an opposing view."

"…Ah… they're fine."

"…Fine…"

"Mediocre, at best…"

"…"

"…If it's any consolation, I prefer much older works… modern stuff just doesn't quite strike my fancy- oh and science fiction… those are alright…"

"So you don't like romance, drama, or horror?"

"Well… I'm not like Kamijou- I'm a guy, so romance doesn't do much for me, I like your suspense novels, but as far as drama goes… well, I'm more into poetry and such."

"Ah…" Akihiko blinked, taken aback by the man's reference to Kamijou's gender. "You're aware that Hiroki is-"

"AAAAH!!! I'm late for class- please be so kind as to show yourself out!" Miyagi grabbed up his things and hurriedly left for his class. "Crap!"

Akihiko blinked before frowning. Had Hiroki come out at work, without telling him? Would Hiroki even tell him such a thing? Maybe they weren't as good of friends as he thought…

Suddenly depressed, he headed off to wait for Misaki's next class to end so he could protect him from being whisked away by that retched Sumi idiot.

-.--.--.-

"So you see, he's simply trying to grow up too fast." Nowaki smiled, ruffling Keiji's hair. "But he's a good kid, and he's going to continue being a good kid- but with a few more responsibilities, and I think the extra tasks will help him to build character!"

"True, true." The head of the orphanage sighed, scratching his ear. "Very well, Nowaki… since it's you who says it, I think it sounds reasonable."

"Yes." Nowaki smiled. "He'll do a good job."

"Keiji, don't try running off again, though, alright?" The man asked.

Keiji nodded, frowning. "I promise."

"Good… go on to lunch, hurry up."

"Thank you… Kusama-san… it was nice meeting you… I hope you'll visit me, again, sometime." Keiji smiled.

"Yes…" Nowaki handed him a piece of paper. "This is some of my information as far as where I work, my cell phone number, et cetera. If you ever need to talk… maybe you've taken on too much or just want to say hello and tell me how you're doing, I'd love it if you'd contact me. And don't hesitate to call me for the first day of your new job."

"Thank you very much." Keiji smiled, hesitating only for a moment before hugging him. Nowaki smiled, patting his back.

"Take care, Keiji-kun."

"…Can I call you Nowaki?" Keiji inquired.

Nowaki smiled. "That'd make me happy, Keiji-kun."

"…Nowaki… I'm glad to have met you."

"Me, too."

-.--.--.-

Nowaki sighed, kicking a rock on his way back. He didn't have the same bike he'd had when he had first begun his paper route, and he had wished to be able to give it to Keiji, but he had donated it, or something…

He didn't mind dipping into his kotatsu fund and buying a bike… but would that be overstepping bounds? Would it be a silent promise to continually take care of and support Keiji when he really wouldn't be able to?

He slid his hands into his pockets and blinked, startled. He pulled the envelope Keiji had given him out of his pocket and frowned. "…Osaka… Osaka…" He sighed, putting it back. "…So Arisa's father lives in Osaka… I wonder why he wanted to find him…"

Sighing for the umpteenth time that day, Nowaki continued along his path.

He didn't get far before Tsumori called him, requesting he come in for assistance, as the hospital was, yet again, understaffed.

When he arrived, there were doctors and nurses hustling and bustling, trying to keep up with the number of children who were being brought in.

"What happened?" Nowaki asked, turning to Tsumori once he reached the main floor.

"A school bus crashed on its way to a field trip of some sort," Tsumori told him, reading over some charts as he walked. "There were quite a few injuries- luckily no one seems to be in critical condition."

"That's a relief." Nowaki sighed, taking some charts from his friend. "I'll get to work, quickly."

"Good ol' Nowaki!" Tsumori smiled.

-.--.--.-

After work, the two sank down onto a couch in the waiting room, together. Both men were positively exhausted and drained, both emotionally as well as physically.

"…How was your morning?" Tsumori pulled out a cigarette, lighting up.

"Aren't you always griping about not smoking in here?" Nowaki huffed.

"If you smoked, you'd understand the need, right now."

"How can a doctor smoke, anyway?" Nowaki sighed. "…Sempai…"

"Mm?"

"…You enjoy working with children, don't you?"

Tsumori chuckled. "Of course I do. Why else would I be a pe-"

"Do you ever want kids of your own?"

"Mm?" Tsumori blinked. "…Maybe… I guess… they're great when you can give them back to their parents and get paid to take care of them, am I right?" He smirked, hitting his knee against Nowaki's.

"…" Nowaki smiled. "…I don't know… I think it'd be nice to have one or two of my own…"

"…" Tsumori frowned. "…You want kids, huh?"

"I'd love to raise children." Nowaki smiled, getting a distant look on his face.

"Well, then my advice would be to dump the grump." Tsumori shrugged, standing. "I'm heading home. Walk with me?"

Nowaki huffed. "I would never break up with Hiro-san."

"Well you have to choose which is more important, raising kids or-"

"Don't you think that someday-"

"If you focus too much on 'someday,' then you'll never achieve your goals. You have to focus on the now, Nowaki." Tsumori told him. "Let's catch a beer on the way home."

"…Alright…" Nowaki frowned.

-.--.--.-

**AN: **Shorter chapter, for which I apologize- and I guess the fight happens in chapter 4-5, sorry about that! The next chapter should be out on June 25.


	4. Coming Out is Never Easy

**AN: **Thank you for your kind reviews! Sorry it's two days late. It was going to be a day late anyway since I hadn't finished in time, but then my laptop was stolen, so luckily I got it back and was able to post, today. Enjoy!

-.--.--.-

**Chapter 4**

-.--.--.-

"…Hiro-san… up to now, I've kept quiet about a lot of things that bother me… but… you once said that if things are getting to me and stressing me out, I could talk to you about it… does that still hold true?"

Silence was Nowaki's only reply…

…

…

…

…Because he was looking into a mirror, practicing various dialogues in his head, and aloud, mentally preparing for what his lover had in store for him.

"…Hiro-san… something's been bothering me, lately… please don't think badly of me, but I really feel it's something I should get off my chest… nn…" He lowered his head with a sad sigh. "Hiro-san… don't talk, just… listen… uuughghghghguguh…" He sank to his knees, head lowering. "Hiro-san… we've been together for seven years- why can't I talk to you, casually?!"

"Why? What do you need to talk to me about?" Hiroki entered with some groceries.

Nowaki stood, nervously, heading into the kitchen to greet him. "Hiro-san, when did you get home?"

"About two minutes ago." Hiroki started putting things away. "What have you been keeping quiet about, up to now?"

Nowaki flushed, deeply. "Hiro-saaan, you should have made your presence known!"

"Well, I thought about it, because I could use the help getting everything in, but I thought you could use some more preparation time."

Nowaki sighed. "So, you seem to be in a good mood… did something good happen at work?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary… but my favorite instant ramen is on sale at the Queen's Kumaya, so I got a bunch."

"Ah… the simple pleasures in life." Nowaki chuckled.

"Quit stalling. What did you want to talk to me about?" Hiroki asked, putting some of the rice away.

Nowaki sighed. "…Hiro-san… I was wondering-"

"Ah, is Keiji here, or did you take him back?" Hiroki interrupted, opening another bag of instant ramen.

"…Uh… no, I took him back." Nowaki replied, fumbling with the letter in his pocket.

"Sorry to interrupt. I just had to make sure." Hiroki stated.

"…Why's that?" Nowaki blinked.

"…Because I thought you might have gotten very attached to him… I don't know… you uh… really like children… but obviously, we can't keep him here, that's illegal."

"…" Nowaki frowned. "I know that, Hiro-san…"

"…So? What's been bothering you? I'll 'not talk' and 'just listen.'"

"Please don't make fun of me." Nowaki sighed.

"Spit it out, already."

"Hiro-san… the thing is… I want to have the kind of talk where we sit down and talk…"

"…Oh… can I grade papers?"

"No! When you work, you don't pay any attention, at all!"

"I pay some attention!" Hiroki argued, picking up a quart of milk and putting it in the fridge.

"…What's the milk for, Hiro-san?"

"…To drink."

"You almost never buy milk."

"Yeah… my mother is coming over, this weekend. She'll probably want to bake something, so-"

Nowaki's eyes lit up like a thousand stars in a midnight sky. Hiroki let out a soft groan in anticipation.

"Hiro-san?! Your mother is coming HERE?!!"

"I spoke with her this afternoon, yes. She's claiming that she's separating from my father."

Nowaki's smile faded, completely. "What?"

"She's just trying to get a rise out of him, don't worry."

"A rise?"

"Yeah. He won't pay enough attention to her, and might start eyeballing some new pop-star on TV or something, so she'll leave for a few days until he calls her to come back home, because he misses her and bam. Everything goes back to normal."

"Really? That must be stressful for both parties." Nowaki frowned. "They should just be more honest with each other."

"I used to think my mother just used that 'separating from my father' excuse to check up on me… I'm starting to think it's true, again."

"…Hiro-san… your mother doesn't know about us, still?" Nowaki frowned.

"Nope." Hiroki put some rice balls in the fridge.

"…When are you going to tell her, Hiro-san?"

"I'm not." Hiroki huffed. "That a problem?"

"…You really love your mother, don't you?"

"So? What's that have to do with my personal life?"

"But she's family…"

"And? I don't tell her everything about my job, or everything about my friends, or everything about the books I read. Why should I tell her about my love life, anyway?"

"…Because she's family…"

"What do you know about family, anyway? You grew up in an orphanage." Hiroki muttered. "You never had to worry about what certain people would think about you or how things you liked or did would have an impact on other people. You want to tell my mother that her one and only son, who she's always begged to give her a grandson, has been taking it up the ass since before he was living on his own?! You go ahead and do that, Nowaki!" Hiroki turned to glower at his lover, but Nowaki was looking away, dejectedly.

"…What?!" Hiroki huffed. "If it's about that orphan stuff I said… don't take it the wrong way… you're lucky to never have had to put up with that kind of thing. And because you are the way you are, I guess I'm glad… for whatever it was that made you turn out the way you-"

"I'm sorry, Hiro-san." Nowaki interjected and Hiroki blinked.

"Hah?"

"I won't interfere when it comes to your family matters… I'm sorry."

The sad look on Nowaki's face made Hiroki snap out of his childish moment and he reflected for a moment on all the thoughtless and inconsiderate things he'd just said…

"…I'm sorry, too." Hiroki sighed, annoyed. "…You may not have had to deal with family to where you had to be careful about hurting their feelings… whereas I did… but at least you're good at taking other peoples' feelings into consideration, before blabbering on about something, when you don't really mean it… unlike me…" He averted his gaze, pitifully.

"…You don't mean it then, Hiro-san?" Nowaki perked a bit.

"…The thing is…" Hiroki leaned against the fridge with a sad sigh, bending his legs and resting his arms over them as he sank to the floor. "…Eventually, I guess she'll put two and two together… and the truth to it is… when that happens, it'll be more painful than if I just told her before- or if I would just tell her, now… and at least if I say it to her… even if it's a disgrace to my family… at least I'll know I chose to tell her, of my own volition…"

"…Hiro-san…" Nowaki smiled, lightly.

"But that won't happen…" Hiroki frowned, lowering his head. "…Because I'm a coward… and I love her… and I don't want her to…" His voice broke off and Nowaki knelt down, wrapping his arms around his lover.

"…I wish I had just told her from the start… if I had… it's not like she's the type to just sever all ties with me… she'll still care about me… but what I'm afraid of is… that my revealing who I am… who you are… might tear a rift… and that that rift might become something very ugly… I don't want to hurt anyone… I don't want anyone to be hurt or angry just because I love you…" Hiroki inhaled deeply, then sighed, slowly, trying to calm himself.

Nowaki hugged his lover tighter. "Hiro-san…"

"…To me… what you and I have is precious, and beautiful, and good… I don't want to have any negative thoughts or feelings about it just because other people frown on our relationship- on the love we have… for each… other…" He deflated, flushing furiously before swallowing, fearful that he might actually tear up due to the importance of such a conversation. He was certainly relieved that his face was buried in his knees so Nowaki couldn't see how red his face had gotten. "But if I keep making up excuses and rationalizations, or lies, I'm really only palliating the situation…" He buried his face in his arms.

"Then just tell her."

"I can't do that!" Hiroki looked up, on the verge of tears, before burying his face in his arms again.

"Well, then… don't…?"

"I also can't do that!" He looked up again, then planted his face back between his knees.

"Hiro-san… if you're worried that they won't embrace you… I'll always stand by your side…" Nowaki placed his hand over Hiroki's, gently.

"It's not about me… I know you'll always be there for me…" Hiroki muttered, annoyed. "…But if my father and mother disagree and become angry with one another… or if they both embrace me and the rest of my family treats them as outcasts… I don't know what will happen… but no matter what, I know something bad will happen!"

"Hiro-san… if it troubles you that much, forget I said anything… you've obviously given it a lot of thought, and you know your family better than I do… I shouldn't have said anything." Nowaki whispered, placing a hand on Hiroki's head. "Like you said, I don't know anything about family…"

Hiroki blinked, looking up for a moment. "…Wh… what did you say?"

"Eh?" Nowaki blinked, then the door bell rang.

"Hiiirooo-chaaaan!" The two heard Hiroki's mother's feminine voice chime from behind the door. "Are you home?!"

"…You don't know anything about family? Is that what you said?" Hiroki whispered.

"…Ah… yeah… we should get the door, Hiro-san… If you want to go wash your face, I can stall for you… I thought you said this weekend, though…"

"…Nowaki…"

"Hiro-chan! I know you're here! I can see your shoes!"

"…I'll answer the door." Nowaki kissed Hiroki, gently, on the forehead, rose, and headed to the door.

"Nowaki," Hiroki stood to follow him.

"Welcome." Nowaki opened the door with a smile.

"Ah! Kusama-kun! I'm sorry! I thought Hiroki was here!" Hiroki's mother exclaimed, placing a hand to her cheek. "Is he not home, right now?"

"He's washing up-"

"Ka-chan, are you staying the night?" Hiroki asked, taking her things, suddenly.

"Ah, Hiro-chan! Are you offering to let your mother stay the night?!"

"Under some conditions." Hiroki muttered, heading inside. "Come inside."

"Hiro-chan! It's so much cleaner than last time!"

"…This is a new place. You haven't been here, before." Hiroki huffed.

"Oh, I love what you've done with the window!"

"I haven't done anything to it! In my last living room, there was one on the opposite wall… is that what you're referring-"

"Oh, wow! What an enormous TV! Hiro-chan, do you really even watch the TV? Your face is always stuck inside a book!"

"It's for Nowaki."

"Ah, so Kusama-san is still your roommate?" His mother smiled, energetically.

"Yes." Nowaki smiled. "My room is down this hall, if you'd like to see-"

"No, he's not my roommate." Hiroki snapped, and Nowaki's eyes widened as his mother blinked, then ran off, squealing, when she saw some random piece of upholstery to comment on.

"…Mother." Hiroki glowered.

"I'm sorry, Hiro-chan, you were saying you and Kusama-kun are no longer roommates? That's so sad!" She felt the fabric, appreciatively. "Where will you be staying, then, Kusama-kun?"

"Ka-chan. Nowaki is my lover."

"Is this faaaaaake----?" His mother trailed off, blinking, before looking at her son, confused. "…I'm sorry, dear, what was that?"

"…Nowaki isn't my roommate, ka-chan... We're lovers."

"…" She blinked, stunned, looking from her son, to the man who apparently slept with her son. A few times. For a minute or two, straight, before Hiroki got irritated.

"So if you want to stay, that's fine. You can stay in my room, and I'll sleep with Nowaki, like I usually do. But if you've got a problem with it-"

"Hiro-chan…" His mother interrupted, standing, slowly. "…Can you please… just… slow down a little?"

"Hiro-san, I think it's a good idea, too…" Nowaki stated, nervously.

"…First of all… if this is a joke-" His mother began, but was cut off:

"What makes you think I'd joke about something like that?" Hiroki asked.

"…Oh…" His mother sat down on the couch, slowly. "…So… is it true, Kusama-kun?" She looked at him.

Nowaki nodded, unsure as to why Hiroki, who had been so adamant about NOT revealing their relationship, only minutes prior to this stunning revelation, had so suddenly shifted gears.

"…Lovers… as in…?" His mother seemed to struggle to grasp this concept.

"As in, we're practically married." Hiroki told her. "I only have one lover. Nowaki. And I'm his only lover, too. And we're both perfectly healthy. And we're both very happy, too. We love each other, very much… and so, my only condition is that if you can't accept that-"

Nowaki's eyes widened as Hiroki's mother's hand collided with her son's face.

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki gasped, nervously; unsure of what would or wouldn't be appropriate at the moment. He'd never had parents, so he felt quite out of place.

Tears stung in the corners of both of the Kamijou's eyes. Hiroki's from the harsh slap, his mother's from the emotional slap.

"…Do you know what I've gone through?!" She snapped, suddenly. "…DO YOU?!"

Hiroki slowly looked at her, confused, and a little hurt.

"…People said little things… here and there… dropped comments and not-so-subtle hints… insults… stabs… and through it all, do you have any idea what I've done?! Each and every time?! I defended you, stood up for you, denied allegations that were absolutely revoltingly besmirching, and I've waited! You have no idea how patient I've been! You really think your own mother didn't know from the very beginning?! You think I don't know my own son?!!"

Hiroki blinked, a bit, still very VERY confused as he felt his burning cheek.

"…So don't insult me by insinuating that I would ever, EVER reject you! I love you! And I knew you, before you even knew yourself." She snapped. "…And of course I'm so very, very, overwhelmingly happy… that you're healthy… and happy… but I'm still really PISSED OFF that I had to wait until you were THIRTY YEARS OLD TO FINALLY HEAR YOU TELL ME!!!"

"Twenty nine and seven months…" Nowaki chimed, nervously.

"…You… knew… what? For how… how… lo-" Hiroki gawked at his mother.

"Since you started bringing Akihiko-kun home."

"…" Hiroki's face flushed deeply and he glanced from his mother to Nowaki. "Uah! Don't listen to her! She doesn't know what she's talking about! I only brought him home so we could read or write or hang out- we never did anything- err- especially not in my parents' house!"

"Of course not." She huffed, placing her fists on her hips. "I like to pretend that my Hiroki saved for marriage." She clasped her hands together, placing them against her cheek and giving off a distant-look.

"…Not… exac-"

"SAVED FOR MARRIAGE!"

"YEAH, OKAY, OF COURSE I DID!!! Tell her I was a virgin when we met, Nowaki." Hiroki nudged Nowaki, annoyed.

"You really weren't??"

"Ah-!" Hiroki gawked at the completely sincere look of shock and surprise on Nowaki's face.

"Well, you two have some catching up to do. I'll just go make myself comfortable in my temporary living quarters, then." Hiroki's mother headed to Hiroki's room without another word.

"…Hiro-san, does it hurt?" Nowaki asked.

"Of course not, I already told you, I wasn't really a virgin when we met!"

"… What?"

"…What're you talking about?"

"…Your face."

"…Oh… No, it doesn't hurt."

"…"

"…"

"…What were _you _talking about?" Nowaki arched a brow.

"…Anyway… finish putting the groceries away, I'm going to shower." Hiroki snapped. "…If I break down in there, just leave me be, got it?"

"Hiro-san?" Nowaki grabbed Hiroki up by the arm. "…Why did you do that? Just now? What is it about what I said that made you tell your mother?"

"…Because you said you didn't understand what having a family is like… but I have a family, and you're my lover, so by all means, you should start understanding, better. My family should be your family."

"…The only family I need is Hiro-san." Nowaki smiled, though he was deeply touched by his lover's kindness.

"…Yeah… well… now I can pawn them off on you. Besides… I already knew you liked them."

"…Hiro-san?"

"Mm?" Hiroki tried to move, but Nowaki wouldn't let go of his face.

"…You're not a coward at all, Hiro-san. I think you're very, very brave."

"…" Hiroki blushed, annoyed. "Quit dicking around! I'm taking a shower! … Coming, or not?"

"…I'll talk to your mother for a bit."

"…Kay." Hiroki muttered.

"Hiro-chan!" His mother came back out, practically crying. "…I'm sorry I hit you…"

Hiroki's brow twitched. "Then don't do it in the first place."

"Pooor Hiiroo-chaaan!" She draped her arms over his shoulders and hugged him to her chest, rubbing her cheek against the top of his head and he sighed, just letting her do as she pleased until she released enough girl-hormones or whatever the hell made her so psychotic.

"Can you cut the menopausal crap, mom? I need a shower, and your estrogen hormones are starting to stick to me and junk."

"MEAN Hiro-chan!" She whined, cuddling into his chest, happily like a cat rubbing against its beloved human's body, affectionately. "You should ease your mother's troubled heart by reassuring her that you love her and accept her apology!"

"Why? The next thing you'll do is whine about how you'll never have grandchildren."

"WAAAAAAAH, it's true!" She pretended to cry, pulling away and balling her fists at her eyes.

Nowaki placed a hand on her shoulder.

"There, there… I feel saddened by it, as well."

"Yeah!" She hugged him, too, blushing lightly and Hiroki noticed instantly and glared, pulling his mother away from his lover, though he wasn't quite sure which he was instinctively trying to protect. "Break it up! And don't go talking to him about children, he was just about to finally admit to me that he wants some, even though it's impossible!"

Nowaki burned crimson from head to toe. "Hi-Hiro-san! How-How did you-?!"

"Ddduuuuh, why would that revelation suddenly arise?" Hiroki huffed. "Maybe due to one Keiji-kun?"

"Who's that?" His mother's feigned tearful face completely vanished, to be replaced with a look of curiosity.

"Another orphan from Kusama orphanage who ran away. We've given him back by now, but he reignited Nowaki's desire to one day have children." Hiroki sighed.

"…Hmmm? Is he adorable? I so want a grandchild!" Kamijou-mama complained, clasping her hands together at her breast and glancing off into space, in merriment at whatever fantasies crossed through her mind.

"Well, I'm going to go shower, you two can fantasize about the impossible, together." Kamijou snapped, turning.

"That's fine! Kusama-kun and I will share lovely stories about Hiro-chan!"

"Enjoy your shower… Hiro-chan." Nowaki smiled, and for the first time in his life, Hiroki sensed an aura of evil to Nowaki's otherwise seemingly pleasant smile.

"…I'll skip it." He snapped.

-.--.--.-

Hiroki made his way to work, about two weeks later, his materials stuffed under one arm. The news indicated that It might rain, so he had an umbrella ready in his hand in case it began pouring. He had been asked to bring an important book he'd borrowed six months ago and promised to return… but hadn't, hoping Miyagi would forget.

The bastard hadn't.

So, if the book got damaged, Hiroki would likely be killed.

His thoughts shifted, suddenly to Keiji and those large eyes of his… so innocent yet defiant… Lately, the kid got into his head, a lot…

Nowaki was acting a tad suspiciously, too… He hadn't severed all ties with the kid- he'd helped him with his first day on the paper route and had even bought him a nice bike to make deliveries easier. Though he may not admit it out loud, Hiroki had found it quite admirable that the prepubescent boy had promised to pay Nowaki back for the bike and wouldn't take no for an answer.

That kid would grow up to be an amazing person…

Smiling, lightly, he stopped at a crosswalk and reflected on the past week's worth of events. His mother had found out about his sexual orientation… though, evidently she had always known… But she claimed his father probably wouldn't believe her if she told him and that this is the type of thing Kamijou should come out and tell his father on his own. (His mother probably just wanted him to come visit… he had a sneaking suspicion his father already knew and believed his mother, based on a phone conversation he'd had with him when his mother headed home.)

He felt a drop of rain hit him on the nose and he hurriedly opened the umbrella and threw it up over his head to protect him from the onslaught of water that crashed down from the skies so suddenly. He smirked, proud at having reacted so quickly.

Once inside, he shook his umbrella out and closed it up. Heading to his office, he was stopped only about ten times by students who had last-minute questions pertaining to the test he intended to give, today.

When he finally reached his office, the door was closed and the lights were off- but the door wasn't locked, oddly enough. He turned on the light and jumped, startled, when Miyagi glanced over his shoulder to peer over at him.

"Why are you sitting in here with the lights off?!" Kamijou bellowed, annoyed.

"Shhhhh…" Miyagi snapped, turning back to what he was doing and pulling on a pair of sunglasses.

"…Are you hung over?!" Kamijou whispered, in a scolding tone as he closed the door behind himself.

"Of course not!" Miyagi snapped. "My eyes are just sore and my head is pounding because I had too much to drink, last night."

"…I hate working for you." Kamijou muttered.

"A kid left a note for you." Miyagi told him, raising a letter which had obviously been ripped open, read, and put back into the envelope.

Hiroki fumed. "YOU OPENED A LETTER TO **ME**?!!"

"No… it came like this." Miyagi replied, honestly. "It was that little kid you and your husband were walking with, the other day… the one with the dark skin and those fox eyes."

"Fox eyes?"

"I saw a fox, once, and its eyes looked like that… oh- they look like the eyes of those dinosaurs from those dinosaur movies…"

"…YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A CHILD!"

"What?" Miyagi huffed in a whiny voice when his assistant snagged the envelope from him, furiously, "I think they're neat!"

"Hmpf!" Hiroki pulled the letter out, eye twitching, reading it over. "…Ah, he apologizes in the content of the letter for having left it for me in an opened envelope since he'd forgotten to put something in-HEY!" He pulled out money, annoyed.

"AH-!" Miyagi gawked. "A kid is paying you?! You're not allowed to have more than one job when I'm your boss, Kamijou! I see how it is. I'm not working you hard enough!!!"

"NO. That is not true at all." Hiroki snapped. "None of it! This isn't for a job- my stupid husba…" He trailed off, face turning crimson at how easily he had nearly managed to call Nowaki his husband.

Feeling as though he'd put a quarter in a gumball machine and received a cake instead, Miyagi decided he was good for the day and hurriedly grabbed up his things, heading out the door to wait in his first classroom for his students.

Hiroki grabbed him by the back of his shirt, furiously.

"Before you dismiss yourself, I need to talk to you about the test!"

"Ah- I'm canceling mine."

"What?"

"I have a dentist appointment."

"WHAT?! When were you going to tell me?!"

"When I found out, apparently…"

"…You're not drunk, you're in pain…" Hiroki noted. "…What's wrong? Don't brush your teeth enough? Smoking causing gum disease?"

"…That's what my lover is afraid of, apparently, since he made me a fucking dentist appointment, thanks. No matter what mean things you say to me, you STILL almost called Kusama-kun your bewoved hubby."

"SHUT THE HELL UP AND GO TO YOUR DAMN DENTIST APOINTMENT!"

"Uuugh… don't yell, my head is pounding…"

"Hmpf!" Hiroki plopped down in his chair after Miyagi had left, pulling out the letter and frowning at the contents. The child had obviously gotten help from someone with the letter- or perhaps he'd made use of the easy to read dictionary Kamijou had given him a week or so ago as a congratulatory gift for having completed one week of work without wanting to give up.

_Kamijou Hiroki and Nowaki,_

_I wanted to thank you for all you've done for me up to this point. (Scribble scribble). So far I've tried my hardest but I've found myself in kind of a rough situation… (Scribble scribble scribble). I'm going to continue trying to become successful like the both of you, but in order to focus on what's important, I need to (scribbled through: get rid of) eradicate any distractions that get in my way. (Scribble). Thank you for the bike, and for the dictionary. You two are very kind and I find myself thinking of you fairly often, lately. I hope that one day, when Arisa and I have about fifteen children, we can be parents as good as you guys would be, if you were allowed. I apologize for any burdens I may have placed on you guys, and I hope you're both doing very well. I'll send you a post card from Osaka! Take care and be safe. It's getting colder outside, so be sure to keep warm._

_Forever in your debt,_

_Yamaguchi Keiji_

_P.S. I apologize for having ripped open the envelope; I wanted to add that you probably won't be able to get a hold of me for a while. Kamijou-san, please take good care of Kusama-san, and don't let him try to come after me. Just tell him the good stuff up there in that other paragraph, please. I'd use another envelope, but this is the only one I have, sorry. _

…

Why was the brat going to Osaka?

Sighing, Hiroki leaned back in his seat, thinking. The kid had the newspaper route for two weeks, tops… had he just made enough for a trip to Osaka, returned the bike, given the return money to him, and headed off? How long did he have to catch him?

And with Miyagi gone this afternoon, he'd have no choice but to cover for him, so how and when would he go about telling Nowaki?

Lunch was his best chance…

Sighing, he picked up his cell and texted Nowaki, instructing him to meet him for lunch to discuss the letter he was about to fax over. Then he headed to the faculty copy room to do as he'd promised.

-.--.--.-

**AN: **Another chapter completed. Look forward to the next. Please don't forget to read and review. If you have any questions or wish to discuss the content, please feel free to check out my livejournal- listed on as my web page under my profile. Thanks for reading!


	5. Trip to Osaka

**AN: **This chapter was harder to write up for some reason

-.--.--.-

**Chapter 5**

-.--.--.-

"What took you?" Hiroki asked as he gathered his things. Lunch period was just about over and he had another class starting in another few minutes.

"I'm very sorry, Hiro-san… I figured since I was at the train station, anyway, I'd might as well pick up tickets for this afternoon- when is the earliest you can get off?"

Hiroki's eye twitched. "Shouldn't you have asked me BEFORE you bought them??"

"Can you be off at four?"

Hiroki sighed, rubbing his temples. "The only other literature instructor took the day off to go to the dent-"

"Miyagi!" a voice sounded from the hallway and Miyagi pushed into the office, suddenly. "Miyagi!" Shinobu followed the man inside, cheeks red. "You can't just go back to work!"  
"Professor, you back from the dentist?" Hiroki blinked.

"Yep."

"He skipped his appointment!"

"Perfect!" Hiroki exclaimed, and Shinobu and Miyagi both eyed him.

"PERFECT?!" The teen exploded.

"I had a sudden emergency come up." Hiroki explained. "I'm very sorry but I need to leave and I will probably not be able to make it in, tomorrow, either. Can you cover for me?"

"But I rescheduled your appointment for tomorrow!" Shinobu snapped.

"Kamijou!!!" Miyagi placed both hands on his subordinate's shoulders and glared, determined. "You can count on me!"

"You fucking BASTARD." Shinbou growled, though neither of the literature enthusiasts were quite sure whom the teen was insulting.

"Thank you very much. We apologize for the sudden inconvenience." Nowaki bowed, politely.

"Absolutely no problem at all!" Miyagi smiled, waving as the two headed out. The last bit of bickering either of the two heard from the office as they left was:

"Gawd, just because you saw a kid whining?"

"He was screaming bloody murder!"

"FINE!!! But you'd better quit smoking-! YOU'RE DOING IT NOW!!! Does my father know y-?!!"

As soon as the door closed, the two fled down the hall.

"Hiro-san, are you going to have to make up for today and tomorrow? If you would prefer, I can go alone." Nowaki suggested.

"If you're taking a penalty, I am, too. We're in this together- the last thing I need is for you to go through some big dramatic episode without me- we'll grow apart!"

"…Hiro-san…" Nowaki flushed. "That sounds touching, somehow…"

"Shut up, somehow!" Hiroki snapped, annoyed, "Do we need to head home? You brought everything you need, right?"

"Actually, there's one last matter to resolve at home…"

-.--.--.-

"OSAKA?!" Kamijou-mama wailed as her son scampered about his and Nowaki's pad, stuffing clothes into a suitcase.

"Yeah."

"But why?!"

"WHY are YOU _here_?" Hiroki snapped, annoyed.

"I only came back to bring your father." She gestured to the couch and Hiroki nearly leapt out of his skin. "GAH-!!!"

"She dragged me here, against my will." His father muttered and Hiroki sighed, annoyed. "Well, it's too bad the timing's so poor, I have to go to Osaka."  
"Well this Keiji-kun sure seems to be causing quite a bit of drama. Is Kusama-kun aware of the current situation?" His mother inquired.

"Yeah, he's on his way, now." Hiroki muttered, zipping up the briefcase. "He just stopped by downstairs to let the landlord know we may be gone a couple of days. Listen, I'm sorry to leave you guys high and dry like this- had I known you were coming, I may have been able to better accommodate you, in the meantime, please feel free to help yourselves to the-"

"We are coming with you." His mother stated, folding her arms.

"…NO." Hiroki snapped, pointing at her, annoyed. "Stay HERE."

"Hiro-san!" Nowaki burst through the doors, suddenly. "When did… he get here?" He blinked, suddenly noticing Hiroki's father.

"Two hours ago." Kamijou-papa replied, lifting a newspaper, curiously, from the table and glancing over it. "I came with mama. She told me that the two of you have something to tell me, properly."

"But since there's an emergency, we can put it off- and we insist on accompanying you to find this Keiji-kun." Kamijou-mama stated.

"…No." Hiroki snapped. "This has nothing to do with you."

"Hiro-san, we can't just leave them here…" Nowaki argued, a tad concerned about the slightly elderly couple.

"We can and we will…" Hiroki huffed, gathering his things together. "Come on."

"Hiro-chan?!" His mother blinked as Hiroki headed out, quickly.

"Hiro-san, what're we doing, exactly?" Nowaki asked as he gathered up his own things. "Are we going to try to find him?"

"Do you know what he's even doing down there?" Hiroki inquired as the two headed down the hall.

Hiroki stopped, suddenly, fuming. Nowaki bumped into him, then blinked glancing over his shoulder when he heard footsteps behind them.

Kamijou-Papa and Mama were following like ducklings; Kamijou-mama looked quite concerned, and Kamijou-papa looked quite bored.

"Quit fallowing us! We need you guys to water the plants!"

"They are fake." Kamijou-mama folded her arms, puffing up her cheeks, a bit.

"Don't give me that look- we can't afford two more tickets!"

"We can pay for ourselves." Kamijou-papa wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Don't deny mama a trip to Osaka, Hiro-chan!" His mother scolded.

"You just went within the past three months!"

"Wanna go again!"

"FINE." Hiroki rubbed his temple, annoyed. "…We don't have time to argue, let's just go."

-.--.--.-

The odd quartette sat on a train, headed for Osaka, nearly three hours later.

It was somewhat reminiscent of the train ride Hiroki and Nowaki had taken a couple of months back. (1).

ONLY HIROKI'S PARENTS WERE NOT THERE, AT THAT TIME.

Nowaki didn't seem to mind, though. He was smiling at them, engaging Kamijou-mama in small talk about this or that- trivial things that Hiroki's mother enjoyed talking about but that Hiroki himself would never opt to discuss.

Kamijou-papa was quiet, overall, like Hiroki. He was simply going along for the ride, and to humor Kamijou-mama, of course. Though he was a prideful man, for the most part, the years had tamed him and lately he seemed to prefer letting Kamijou-mama plan their vacations and random activities.

Sighing, Hiroki's thoughts drifted to his future with Nowaki. Would they be together when they were his parents' age? Would the years reduce Hiroki's pride? Enough to where he would do whatever it took to make Nowaki happy?

He wasn't sure if he loathed that idea or not…

He felt Nowaki's hand touch his when Nowaki slid his hand to his side, leaning backward to pop his neck and back, and he hoped Nowaki didn't try to do anything embarrassing in front of his parents…

After hearing a small pop, Nowaki scooted backward and moved his hands, folding them in his lap.

"It's going to be a long ride… we'd might as well sleep a bit." He suggested, and Kamijou-mama agreed.

"I brought a very special pillow for you, my dear." She pulled a small pillow out of her case and raised it for her husband to see.

"You didn't bring one for yourself?" He asked and she beamed, patting his hand, affectionately.

"Well of course I did, silly."

"…I am your pillow, am I not?" He grumbled, and Hiroki sympathized with his poor father, who had probably hit the nail on the head with that assumption.

The man tucked the pillow behind his back and pulled his wife to his side. Resting her head against his chest and the palm of her right hand against his shoulder, she shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Hiroki glanced around, taking note in the fact that there was barely anyone on board, but still feeling that his mother's public displays of affection were a tad inappropriate.

He knew that if he voiced his concerns, she would either ignore him or try to argue why it was perfectly alright for a woman to hug her husband, and then she would go on to rant about how pleased she was that 'the times were changing' and 'even you could probably get away with it if you wanted to hug Nowaki, Hiro-chan!' and then there would be hell to pay.

Nowaki smiled fondly at the sight of the elderly couple, lying against one another, and then he glanced happily at Hiroki, his thoughts obviously drifting to where Hiroki's had, moments ago.

Quickly averting his embarrassed gaze, Hiroki struggled to count backward from one hundred in his head. He could feel his cheeks burning up.

After about a half hour or so, his father's obnoxious snoring could be heard throughout the train. Though other passengers had also fallen asleep and taken to snoring, his mother also had managed to fall fast asleep.

It was when the lights went off and everyone sounded asleep that Nowaki dared twine his fingers with Hiroki's. Hiroki sighed, holding his hand, back, and leaning against Nowaki. He could tell Nowaki wanted to kiss him, but that was absolutely impossible, so he didn't meet Nowaki's gaze. This also aided him in ignoring the sad puppy dog look that Nowaki was probably giving him.

Nowaki let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes, resting his head atop Hiroki's. For just a moment, Hiroki hoped to be just like his parents when he grew older.

As he drifted off to sleep, his thoughts wandered to Keiji, who he hoped was alright.

The child was probably all alone…

What could possibly possess him to leave and head to Osaka? Nowaki had promised to explain, but he had never gotten around to it. Now would probably be the perfect time to listen to the younger man elaborate, but the warmth radiating from Nowaki's body and soul was lulling Hiroki quickly to sleep.

As his eyelids grew heavier and his sight hazed, slightly, Hiroki heard Nowaki's voice- barely audible- whispering soft words of affection to him.

"I love you, Hiro-san…"

-.--.--.-

**AN: **Short chapter, I know… next chapter, they will meet up with Keiji-kun. Yay. No deadline as of yet. Next chapter will probably be a while.

(1) Train ride took place in a DVD extra. It was a small Junjou Egoist extra where Nowaki received free train tickets for two from a patient at the hospital. He was asked to take many pictures, and it was the first trip that he and Hiroki had taken together, so Hiroki had hurried to finish all his work so that he could go with Nowaki. No smut, but it was very fluffy and cute. You can find the updated extra at the mangafox website, FYI.


End file.
